Biomarkers for Head-and-Neck Cancers and Precancers

ABSTRACT

The invention provides markers and methods for detecting head-and-neck precancers, (including OPLs), cancers and related disease conditions in a subject. The invention also provides localization and imaging methods for head-and-neck precancers (including OPLs) and cancers, along with kits for carrying out methods of the invention. The invention further provides therapeutic applications for head-and-neck precancers (including OPLs) and cancers which employ head-and-neck precancer and cancer markers, polynucleotides encoding the markers, and binding agents for the markers.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/866,567, filed Nov. 17, 2010, which is a national stage application of International Patent Application No. PCT/CA2009/000154, filed Feb. 6, 2009, which claims priority to Canadian Patent Application No. 2,643,611, filed Nov. 10, 2008 and Canadian Patent Application No. 2,618,163, filed on Feb. 7, 2008 all of which are incorporated herein by reference, as if set forth in their entirety

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to markers for head-and-neck cancers, including oral cancers. The invention also relates to markers for head-and-neck precancers—including, but not limited to, oral leukoplakia with hyperplasia or dysplasia. The invention further relates to methods for assessing the status of head-and-neck tissue and oral tissue, and methods for the detection, diagnosis, prediction, and therapy of head-and-neck disease. In one aspect, the invention relates to biomarkers of head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma and biomarkers of head-and-neck precancers (including, but not limited to, oral leukoplakia with hyperplasia or dysplasia), and methods for detecting, diagnosing, predicting, and treating these and related conditions. In a further aspect, the invention relates to biomarkers of oral leukoplakia with hyperplasia or dysplasia, and methods for detecting, diagnosing, predicting, and treating same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Annually, about 500,000 cancer-related deaths are estimated in the United States alone. Of these, approximately 13,000 are attributed to head-and-neck including oral squamous-cell carcinoma (HNOSCC), making it the sixth most common cause of cancer deaths and the fourth most prevalent cancer in men worldwide (1).

A lack of biomarkers for early detection and risk assessment is clearly reflected by the fact that more than 50% of all patients with head-and-neck squamous-cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis (2). The five-year survival rate of HNSCC patients is less than 50%, and the prognosis of advanced HNSCC cases has not changed much over the past three decades, except in a few advanced centers (2). Conceivably, improvement in understanding of the steps leading to tumorigenesis will provide the ability to identify and predict malignant progression at an earlier stage of HNSCC lesions, in turn leading to more effective treatment and reduction of morbidity and mortality.

The precancerous lesions, potentially malignant lesions, premalignant lesions, and squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) of the head and neck (oral cavity, oropharynx, and larynx)—which are clinically usually defined as “leukoplakia”—remain the main controversial topic in head and neck pathology as regards classification, histological diagnosis, and treatment (3-5). The transition from a normal epithelium to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck is a lengthy, comprehensive and multistage process, causally related to progressive accumulation of genetic changes leading to the selection of a clonal population of transformed epithelial cells (6). The whole spectrum of histological changes occurring in this process has been recently cumulatively designated potentially malignant lesions or SILs, ranging from squamous hyperplasia to carcinoma in situ (CIS) (3). In their evolution, some cases of potentially malignant lesions and SILs are self-limiting and reversible, some persist, and some progress to SCC in spite of careful follow-up and treatment.

Oral squamous-cell carcinoma (OSCC), the most common form of HNOSCC, is often preceded by clinically-well-defined lesions, such as leukoplakia, causally linked with chronic exposure of the oral mucosa to carcinogens or growth promoters in tobacco and alcohol; leukoplakias with dysplasia are termed “oral premalignant lesions” (OPLs) (3, 6). The presence of dysplastic areas in the oral epithelium is associated with a likely progression to cancer; however, it is not an accurate predictor of cancer risk (6, 7). The major challenge in oral tumorigenesis is the identification of proteins that may serve as markers to differentiate the high-risk leukoplakic lesions from more benign lesions for early intervention to reduce the morbidity associated with this devastating disease. Rapid advances in treatment modalities and improvements in the early detection of head-and-neck cancers have not significantly impacted the overall survival rates of cancer patients.

Currently, there are no clinically-established biomarkers to facilitate the diagnosis or prognosis of head-and-neck cancer and oral leukoplakia. It is expected that identification of novel protein markers or therapeutic targets will ultimately improve patient care and survival. Thus, much effort has been focused on genomics- and proteomics-based identification of biomarkers that can detect the disease in early stages, predict the risk of malignant transformation in patients with oral leukoplakia, and/or predict the clinical outcome in HNOSCC patients after treatment of primary tumors. It is hoped that these biomarkers will transform clinical practice by including cancer screening and diagnosis based on molecular markers as a complement to histopathology.

In the post-genomics era, proteomics combined with mass spectrometry (MS) has become a powerful paradigm for the examination of proteins in a global manner, and the consequent discovery of cancer risk markers and drug targets. While transcriptomics provides a tool for unraveling gene-expression networks, proteomics links these networks to protein products and provides further insight into post-translational modifications that regulate cellular functions, thereby complementing genomic analyses (reviewed in Ralhan (8)). Identification of differentially expressed proteins in HNSCCs using proteomics revealed that expression patterns of proteins may have some predictive power for clinical outcome and personalized risk assessment (8-16)

Differential tagging with isotopic reagents, such as isotope-coded affinity tags (ICAT) (17) or the more recent variation that uses isobaric tagging reagents, iTRAQ (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, Calif.), followed by multidimensional liquid chromatography (LC) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis, is emerging as one of the more powerful methodologies in the search for disease biomarkers. Recent studies using iTRAQ reagents resulted in identification and relative quantification of proteins leading to a discovery of potential cancer markers (PCMs) for human cancers (17-23).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As discussed herein, the inventors used iTRAQ labeling in combination with multidimensional LC-MS/MS analysis of head-and-neck cancer in order to compare protein profiles of HNSCC and non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues. The inventors also used iTRAQ labeling in combination with multidimensional LC-MS/MS analysis of oral leukoplakia with dysplasia (oral premalignant lesions, or OPLs) in order to compare protein profiles of OPLs and normal head-and-neck tissues. These studies were designed to identify potential biomarkers, and to identify, in a global fashion, molecular pathways that are deregulated in head-and-neck and oral cancer, thereby aiding in drug-target discovery.

The iTRAQ experiments were performed on resected HNSCC, excised OPLs, and non-cancerous tissue homogenates. The rationale for using whole tissue homogenates as opposed to laser-capture-microdissection (LCM)-procured tumor cells has been discussed (21, 23). There are at least two major advantages in the analysis of tissue homogenates: the relevant proteins are much more abundant in the tissues of interest than in bodily fluids, and there is an automatic link between a protein that is differentially expressed and the tumor itself. Such a link would need to be demonstrated if the differentially expressed proteins were to be discovered in a bodily fluid (e.g., blood), as every tissue or organ can potentially discharge into blood. Furthermore, the tumor microenvironment plays an important role in cancer progression (24); examination of protein expression in tissues from a homogenate of different cell types takes into account the contributions of the tumor microenvironment.

The protein expression profiles of HNSCCs and OPLs were compared with non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues (controls) using the iTRAQ-labelling technique in combination with multidimensional LC-MS/MS analysis. In the iTRAQ technology, primary amines are tagged, thereby potentially allowing the tagging of most tryptic peptides. The multiplexing ability afforded by the iTRAQ reagents, which are available in four different tags, was ideally suited for the present study, as it provided a means to perform a proteomic analysis of both paired and non-paired non-cancerous (histologically normal) head-and-neck tissues, while simultaneously comparing them against the cancer samples. This strategy helps to identify proteins that might be differentially expressed due to manifestation of field cancerization (25-27) in clinically normal mucosa, and may be useful in designing strategies for risk prediction of disease recurrence or second primary tumor development.

Some of the overexpressed proteins that were identified in the tissues by the iTRAQ technology and LC MS/MS analysis were confirmed by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. These approaches ensured that the selected proteins demonstrated a consistent pattern of overexpression in HNSCCs and OPLs, and greatly increased confidence in the observations stemming from iTRAQ analysis. Apart from their potential utility as biomarkers for HNSCC and OPLs, these proteins also provide valuable insight into the previously unknown molecular networks and mechanisms that govern the normal-to-malignant conversion of epithelium.

Using the above techniques, the inventors identified markers associated with head-and-neck tissues including oral tissues. Thus, the invention relates to novel markers for head-and-neck including oral tissues, including markers of head-and-neck including oral disease, and compositions comprising same.

In one aspect, the invention provides marker sets that distinguish head-and-neck cells or tissue, diseases, or phases thereof. Also provided are uses of these marker sets. A marker set may include a plurality of polypeptides and/or a plurality of polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides, including at least one marker listed in Table 5 and optionally including 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, or 21 of the markers listed therein. In specific aspects, the markers include at least 2, 3, 4, or 5 polypeptides listed in Table 5. In another aspect, the protein marker set includes protein clusters or proteins in pathways including markers listed in Table 5 and Table 2. In yet another aspect, the invention provides markers in Table 1 that are up-regulated or down-regulated or expressed in cancer samples as compared to the non-cancer samples.

In another aspect, the invention provides marker sets that distinguish oral cells or tissue, diseases, or phases thereof. Also provided are uses of these marker sets. A marker set may include a plurality of polypeptides and/or a plurality of polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides, including at least one marker listed in Table 5 and optionally including 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, or 21 of the markers listed therein. In specific aspects, the markers include at least 2, 3, 4, or 5 polypeptides listed in Table 5. In another aspect, the protein marker set includes protein clusters or proteins in pathways including markers listed in Table 5. In yet another aspect, the invention provides markers in 5 and optionally Table 8 including 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, or 32 of the markers listed therein that are up-regulated or down-regulated or expressed in OPL samples as compared to the normal samples. In specific aspects, the OPL markers include at least 2, 3, 4, or 5 polypeptides listed in Table 6 and 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, or 32 listed in Table 5. In another aspect, the protein marker set includes protein clusters or proteins in pathways including markers listed in Table 5 (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, or 32).

Up-regulated markers identified in Table 1 (up-regulated in cancer samples versus non-cancer samples), and Table 6 (up-regulated in OPL samples versus non-cancer samples), including but not limited to native-sequence polypeptides, isoforms, chimeric polypeptides, all homologs, fragments, and precursors of the markers, including modified forms of the polypeptides and derivatives are referred to and defined herein as “head-and-neck cancer marker(s) and OPL marker(s)”. Polynucleotides encoding head-and-neck cancer markers are referred to and defined herein as “head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide marker(s)”, “polynucleotides encoding head-and-neck cancer markers”, or “polynucleotides encoding the cancer marker(s)”. Polynucleotides encoding OPL markers are referred to and defined herein as “OPL polynucleotide marker(s)”, “polynucleotides encoding OPL markers”, or “polynucleotides encoding the precancer marker(s)”. The head-and-neck cancer markers and head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers are sometimes collectively referred to herein as “cancer marker(s)”, while the OPL markers and OPL polynucleotide markers are sometimes collectively referred to herein as “OPL marker(s)”.

Up-regulated head-and-neck cancer markers listed in Table 1 (in cancer sample versus non-cancer sample), those listed in Table 1 or 2, and polynucleotides encoding the markers, have application in the determination of the status of the head-and-neck cell or tissue and in the detection of a head-and-neck disease such as head-and-neck cancer. Thus, the markers can be used for diagnosis, monitoring (i.e., monitoring progression or therapeutic treatment), prognosis, treatment, or classification of a head-and-neck disease (e.g., head-and-neck cancer), HNSCC or related conditions or as markers before surgery or after relapse. The invention also contemplates methods for assessing the status of a head-and-neck tissue, and methods for the diagnosis and therapy of a head-and-neck disease.

Up-regulated OPL markers listed in Table 6 (in OPL sample versus normal sample), those listed in Table 6 or Table 7, and polynucleotides encoding the markers, have application in the determination of the status or phase of the head-and-neck/oral cell or tissue and in the detection of a head-and-neck disease such as oral leukoplakia with hyperplasia or dysplasia or head-and-neck cancer. Thus, the markers can be used for diagnosis, monitoring (i.e., monitoring progression or therapeutic treatment), prognosis, treatment, or classification of a head-and-neck disease (e.g., oral leukoplakia with hyperplasia or dysplasia or OPLs), HNSCC or related conditions or as markers before surgery or after relapse. The invention also contemplates methods for assessing the status of a head-and-neck tissue, and methods for the diagnosis and therapy of a head-and-neck disease.

In accordance with methods of the invention, OPL and head-and-neck cancer can be assessed or characterized, for example, by detecting the presence in the sample of (a) an OPL or head-and-neck cancer marker or fragment thereof; (b) a metabolite which is produced directly or indirectly by an OPL or head-and-neck cancer marker; (c) a transcribed nucleic acid or fragment thereof having at least a portion with which an OPL polynucleotide marker or a head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide marker is substantially identical; and/or (c) a transcribed nucleic acid or fragment thereof, wherein the nucleic acid hybridizes with an OPL polynucleotide marker or a head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide marker.

The levels of OPL markers or head-and-neck cancer markers or OPL polynucleotide markers or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers in a sample may be determined by methods as described herein and generally known in the art. The expression levels may be determined by isolating and determining the level of nucleic acid transcribed from each OPL polynucleotide markers or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide marker. Alternatively or additionally, the levels of OPL markers or head-and-neck cancer markers translated from mRNA transcribed from an OPL polynucleotide markers or a head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide marker respectively may be determined.

In an aspect, the invention provides a method for characterizing or classifying a head-and-neck sample including detecting a difference in the expression of a first plurality of head-and-neck cancer markers or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers relative to a control, the first plurality of markers including or consisting of at least 2, 3, 4, or 5 of the markers corresponding to the markers listed in Table 5, and optionally 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, or up to all of the markers listed therein or those listed in Table 2 or those that are up-regulated in cancer versus control tissue in Table 1. In specific aspects, the plurality of markers consists of at least 3, 4, or 5 of the markers listed in Table 1.

In an aspect, the invention provides a method for characterizing or classifying an OPL or a head-and-neck including detecting a difference in the expression of a first plurality of OPL markers or head-and-neck markers or OPL or head-and-neck polynucleotide markers relative to a control, the first plurality of markers including or consisting of at least 2, 3, 4, or 5 of the markers corresponding to the markers listed in Table 5, and optionally 3, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, or 32 of the markers listed therein or those listed in Table 7 or those that are up-regulated in OPL versus control tissue in Table 6. In specific aspects, the plurality of markers consists of at least 3, 4 or 5 of the markers listed in Table 6.

In an aspect, a method is provided for characterizing a head-and-neck tissue by detecting OPL markers/head-and-neck cancer markers or OPL polynucleotide markers/head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers associated with a head-and-neck tissue stage or phase, or head-and-neck disease in a subject including:

-   -   (a) obtaining a sample from a subject;     -   (b) detecting or identifying in the sample OPL         markers/head-and-neck cancer markers or OPL polynucleotide         markers/head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers; and     -   (c) comparing the detected amount with an amount detected for a         standard.

In an embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for detecting OPL markers or head-and-neck cancer markers or OPL polynucleotide markers or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers associated with OPL or head-and-neck cancer in a patient including:

-   -   (a) obtaining a sample from a patient;     -   (b) detecting in the sample OPL markers or head-and-neck cancer         markers or OPL polynucleotide markers or head-and-neck cancer         polynucleotide markers; and     -   (c) comparing the detected amount with an amount detected for a         standard.

The term “detect” or “detecting” includes assaying, imaging or otherwise establishing the presence or absence of the target OPL markers or head-and-neck cancer markers or polynucleotides encoding the markers, subunits thereof, or combinations of reagent bound targets, and the like, or assaying for, imaging, ascertaining, establishing, or otherwise determining one or more factual characteristics of a head-and-neck tissue phase or head-and-neck disease including OPL, cancer, metastasis, stage, or similar conditions. The term encompasses diagnostic, prognostic, and monitoring applications for the OPL markers or head-and-neck cancer markers and polynucleotides encoding these markers.

The invention also provides a method of assessing whether a patient is afflicted with or has a pre-disposition for head-and-neck disease, in particular OPL or head-and-neck cancer, the method including comparing:

-   -   (a) levels of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or         polynucleotides encoding OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers         associated with the head-and-neck disease in a sample from the         patient; and     -   (b) normal levels of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or         polynucleotides encoding OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers         associated with the head-and-neck disease in samples of the same         type obtained from control patients not afflicted with the         disease, wherein altered levels of the OPL or head-and-neck         cancer markers or the polynucleotides relative to the         corresponding normal levels of OPL or head-and-neck cancer         markers or polynucleotides is an indication that the patient is         afflicted with head-and-neck disease.

In an aspect of a method of the invention for assessing whether a patient is afflicted with or has a pre-disposition for head-and-neck cancer, higher levels of head-and-neck cancer markers (e.g., YWHAZ, stratifin, S100A7) in a sample relative to the corresponding normal levels is an indication that the patient is afflicted with head-and-neck cancer.

In an aspect of a method of the invention for assessing whether a patient is afflicted with or has a pre-disposition for OPL/head-and-neck cancer, higher levels of OPL markers (e.g., YWHAZ, stratifin, hnRNPK) in a sample relative to the corresponding normal levels is an indication that the patient is afflicted with OPL.

In another aspect of a method of the invention for assessing whether a patient is afflicted with or has a pre-disposition for head-and-neck cancer, lower levels of head-and-neck cancer markers (e.g., alpha-1-antitrypsin, KPSG lumican) in a sample relative to the corresponding normal levels is an indication that the patient is afflicted with head-and-neck cancer.

In another aspect of a method of the invention for assessing whether a patient is afflicted with or has a pre-disposition for OPL/head-and-neck cancer, lower levels of OPL/head-and-neck cancer markers (e.g., alpha-1-antitrypsin, peroxiredoxin 2) in a sample relative to the corresponding normal levels is an indication that the patient is afflicted with OPL (oral leukoplakia with dysplasia).

In a further aspect, a method for screening a subject for head-and-neck disease is provided including (a) obtaining a biological sample from a subject; (b) detecting the amount of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers associated with the disease in said sample; and (c) comparing said amount of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers detected to a predetermined standard, where detection of a level of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers that differs significantly from the standard indicates head-and-neck disease.

In an embodiment, a significant difference between the levels of OPL or head-and-neck cancer marker levels in a patient and normal levels is an indication that the patient is afflicted with or has a predisposition to head-and-neck disease.

In a particular embodiment the amount of head-and-neck cancer marker(s) (e.g., prothymosin alpha, APC-binding protein EB1) detected is greater than that of a standard and is indicative of head-and-neck disease, in particular head-and-neck cancer. In another particular embodiment the amount of head-and-neck cancer marker(s) (e.g., alpha-1-antitrypsin, KPSG lumican) detected is lower than that of a standard and is indicative of head-and-neck disease, in particular head-and-neck cancer.

In a particular embodiment the amount of OPL/head-and-neck marker(s) (e.g., YWHAZ, stratifin, hnRNPK) detected is greater than that of a standard and is indicative of head-and-neck disease, in particular OPL (oral leukoplakia with hyperplasia or dysplasia)/head-and-neck cancer. In another particular embodiment the amount of OPL/head-and-neck marker(s) (e.g., alpha-1-antitrypsin, peroxiredoxin 2) detected is lower than that of a standard and is indicative of head-and-neck disease, in particular OPL/head-and-neck cancer.

In aspects of the methods of the invention, the methods are non-invasive for detecting head-and-neck disease which in turn allow for diagnosis of a variety of conditions or diseases associated with the head-and-neck.

In particular, the invention provides a non-invasive non-surgical method for detection, diagnosis or prediction of head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or oral leukoplakia with hyperplasia or dysplasia and head-and-neck cancer or HNSCC) in a subject including: obtaining a sample of blood, plasma, serum, urine or saliva or a tissue sample from the subject; subjecting the sample to a procedure to detect OPL markers and head-and-neck cancer markers or OPL polynucleotide markers and head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers in the blood, plasma, serum, urine, saliva or tissue; detecting, diagnosing, and predicting head-and-neck disease by comparing the levels of OPL markers and head-and-neck cancer markers or OPL polynucleotide markers and head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers to the levels of marker(s) or polynucleotide(s) obtained from a control subject with no head-and-neck disease.

In an embodiment, head-and-neck disease is detected, diagnosed, or predicted by determination of increased levels of markers (e.g., one or more Table 1 up-regulated markers, preferable Table 5 up-regulated markers and more preferably one or more Table 2 up-regulated markers) when compared to such levels obtained from the control.

In an embodiment, head-and-neck disease is detected, diagnosed, or predicted by determination of increased levels of markers (e.g., one or more Table 6 up-regulated markers, preferable Table 5 up-regulated OPL markers and more preferably one or more Table 7 up-regulated markers) when compared to such levels obtained from the control.

In another embodiment, head-and-neck disease is detected, diagnosed, or predicted by determination of decreased levels of markers (e.g., one or more Table 1 down-regulated markers) when compared to such levels obtained from the control.

In another embodiment, head-and-neck disease is detected, diagnosed, or predicted by determination of decreased levels of OPL markers (e.g., one or more markers in Table 6 such as, Cystatin B or DLC1) when compared to such levels obtained from the control.

The invention also provides a method for assessing the aggressiveness or indolence of a head-and-neck disease in particular OPL (e.g., staging hyperplasia or dysplasia or degree of differentiation-mild dysplasia or severe dysplasia) or cancer (e.g., staging), the method including comparing:

-   -   (a) levels of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or         polynucleotides encoding OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers         associated with the head-and-neck disease in a patient sample;         and     -   (b) normal levels of the OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or         the polynucleotides in a control sample.

In an embodiment, a significant difference between the levels in the sample and the normal levels is an indication that the head-and-neck disease, in particular OPL or cancer, is aggressive or indolent. In a particular embodiment, the levels of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers are higher than normal levels. In another particular embodiment, the levels of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers are lower than normal levels.

In an embodiment, a method is provided for diagnosing and/or monitoring OPL and HNSCC including comparing:

-   -   (a) levels of YWHAZ or polynucleotides encoding YWHAZ in a         sample from the patient; and     -   (b) normal levels of YWHAZ or polynucleotides encoding same in         samples of the same type obtained from control patients not         afflicted with OPL or head-and-neck cancer or having a different         stage of OPL or head-and-neck cancer, wherein altered levels of         YWHAZ or polynucleotides encoding same compared with the         corresponding normal levels is an indication that the patient is         afflicted with OPL or HNSCC.

In an embodiment, a method is provided for diagnosing and/or monitoring OPL or HNSCC including comparing:

-   -   (a) levels of S100 A7 or polynucleotides encoding S100 A7 in a         sample from the patient; and     -   (b) normal levels of S100 A7 or polynucleotides encoding same in         samples of the same type obtained from control patients not         afflicted with head-and-neck cancer or having a different stage         of head-and-neck cancer, wherein altered levels of S100 A7 or         polynucleotides encoding same compared with the corresponding         normal levels is an indication that the patient is afflicted         with HNSCC.

In an embodiment, a method is provided for diagnosing and/or monitoring oral leukoplakia with hyperplasia or dysplasia (OPL)/HNSCC including comparing:

-   -   (a) levels of hnRNPK or polynucleotides encoding hnRNPK in a         sample from the patient; and     -   normal levels of hnRNPK or polynucleotides encoding same in         samples of the same type obtained from control patients not         afflicted with leukoplakia with hyperplasia or dysplasia         (OPL)/head-and-neck cancer or having a different stage of         leukoplakia with hyperplasia or dysplasia (OPL) or head-and-neck         cancer, wherein altered levels of hnRNPK or polynucleotides         encoding same compared with the corresponding normal levels is         an indication that the patient is afflicted with leukoplakia         with hyperplasia or dysplasia (OPL)/HNSCC.

In an embodiment, a method is provided for diagnosing and/or monitoring HNSCC and leukoplakia with hyperplasia or dysplasia (OPL) including comparing

-   -   (a) levels of stratifin or polynucleotides encoding stratifin in         a sample from the patient; and     -   (b) normal levels of stratifin or polynucleotides encoding same         in samples of the same type obtained from control patients not         afflicted with head-and-neck cancer or leukoplakia with         hyperplasia or dysplasia (OPL) or having a different stage of         leukoplakia with hyperplasia or dysplasia (OPL) or head-and-neck         cancer, wherein altered levels of stratifin or polynucleotides         encoding same compared with the corresponding normal levels is         an indication that the patient is afflicted with HNSCC.

In an aspect, the invention provides a method for determining whether a cancer has metastasized or is likely to metastasize in the future, the method including comparing:

-   -   (a) levels of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or         polynucleotides encoding OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers in         a patient sample; and     -   (b) normal levels (or non-metastatic levels) of the OPL or         head-and-neck cancer markers or polynucleotides in a control         sample.

In an embodiment, a significant difference between the levels in the patient sample and the normal levels is an indication that the cancer has metastasized or is likely to metastasize in the future.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method for monitoring the progression of head-and-neck disease, in particular OPL or head-and-neck cancer in a patient the method including:

-   -   (a) detecting OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or         polynucleotides encoding the markers associated with the disease         in a sample from the patient at a first time point;     -   (b) repeating step (a) at a subsequent point in time; and     -   (c) comparing the levels detected in (a) and (b), thereby         monitoring the progression of the head-and-neck disease.

The invention contemplates a method for determining the effect of an environmental factor on the head-and-neck tissue, or head-and-neck disease including comparing OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers or OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers in the presence and absence of the environmental factor.

The invention also provides a method for assessing the potential efficacy of a test agent for inhibiting head-and-neck disease, and a method of selecting an agent for inhibiting head-and-neck disease.

The invention contemplates a method of assessing the potential of a test compound to contribute to a head-and-neck disease including:

-   -   (a) maintaining separate aliquots of head-and-neck diseased         cells in the presence and absence of the test compound; and     -   (b) comparing the levels of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers         or polynucleotides encoding the markers associated with the         disease in each of the aliquots.

A significant difference between the levels of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or polynucleotides encoding the markers in an aliquot maintained in the presence of (or exposed to) the test compound relative to the aliquot maintained in the absence of the test compound, indicates that the test compound potentially contributes to head-and-neck disease.

The invention further relates to a method of assessing the efficacy of a therapy for inhibiting head-and-neck disease in a patient. A method of the invention includes comparing: (a) levels of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or polynucleotides encoding the markers associated with disease in a first sample from the patient obtained from the patient prior to providing at least a portion of the therapy to the patient; and (b) levels of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or polynucleotides encoding the markers associated with disease in a second sample obtained from the patient following therapy.

In an embodiment, a significant difference between the levels of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or polynucleotides encoding the markers in the second sample relative to the first sample is an indication that the therapy is efficacious for inhibiting head-and-neck disease.

In a particular embodiment, the method is used to assess the efficacy of a therapy for inhibiting head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or head-and-neck cancer), where lower levels of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or polynucleotides encoding same in the second sample relative to the first sample, is an indication that the therapy is efficacious for inhibiting the disease.

The “therapy” may be any therapy for treating head-and-neck disease, in particular OPL or head-and-neck cancer, including but not limited to therapeutics, radiation, immunotherapy, gene therapy, and surgical removal of tissue. Therefore, the method can be used to evaluate a patient before, during, and after therapy.

Certain methods of the invention employ binding agents (e.g., antibodies) that specifically recognize OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers.

In an embodiment, the invention provides methods for determining the presence or absence of head-and-neck disease, in particular OPL or head-and-neck cancer, in a patient, including the steps of (a) contacting a biological sample obtained from a patient with one or more binding agent that specifically binds to one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers associated with the disease; and (b) detecting in the sample an amount of marker that binds to the binding agent, relative to a predetermined standard or cut-off value, thereby determining the presence or absence of head-and-neck disease in the patient.

In another embodiment, the invention relates to a method for diagnosing and monitoring a head-and-neck disease, in particular OPL or head-and-neck cancer, in a subject by quantifying one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers associated with the disease in a biological sample from the subject including (a) reacting the biological sample with one or more binding agent specific for the OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers (e.g., an antibody) that are directly or indirectly labelled with a detectable substance; and (b) detecting the detectable substance.

In another aspect the invention provides a method of using an antibody to detect expression of one or more head-and-neck marker in a sample, the method including: (a) combining antibodies specific for one or more head-and-neck marker with a sample under conditions which allow the formation of antibody:marker complexes; and (b) detecting complex formation, wherein complex formation indicates expression of the marker in the sample. Expression may be compared with standards and is diagnostic of a head-and-neck disease, in particular OPL or HNSCC.

Embodiments of the methods of the invention involve (a) reacting a biological sample from a subject with antibodies specific for one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers which are directly or indirectly labelled with an enzyme; (b) adding a substrate for the enzyme wherein the substrate is selected so that the substrate, or a reaction product of the enzyme and substrate forms fluorescent complexes; (c) quantifying one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers in the sample by measuring fluorescence of the fluorescent complexes; and (d) comparing the quantified levels to levels obtained for other samples from the subject patient, or control subjects.

In another embodiment the quantified levels are compared to levels quantified for control subjects (e.g., normal or benign) without a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer) wherein an increase in head-and-neck marker levels compared with the control subjects is indicative of head-and-neck disease.

In a further embodiment the quantified levels are compared to levels quantified for control subjects (e.g., normal or benign) without a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer) wherein a decrease in head-and-neck marker levels compared with the control subjects is indicative of head-and-neck disease.

A particular embodiment of the invention includes the following steps

-   -   (a) incubating a biological sample with first antibodies         specific for one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers         which are directly or indirectly labelled with a detectable         substance, and second antibodies specific for one or more         head-and-neck cancer markers which are immobilized;     -   (b) detecting the detectable substance thereby quantifying OPL         or head-and-neck cancer markers in the biological sample; and     -   (c) comparing the quantified OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers         with levels for a predetermined standard.

The standard may correspond to levels quantified for samples from control subjects without OPL or head-and-neck cancer (normal or benign), with a different disease stage, or from other samples of the subject. In an embodiment, increased levels of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers as compared to the standard may be indicative of head-and-neck precancer or cancer. In another embodiment, lower levels of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers as compared to a standard may be indicative of head-and-neck precancer or cancer.

OPL or HNSCC marker levels can be determined by constructing an antibody microarray in which binding sites include immobilized, preferably monoclonal, antibodies specific to a substantial fraction of marker-derived OPL or HNSCC marker proteins of interest.

Other methods of the invention employ one or more polynucleotides capable of hybridizing to one or more polynucleotides encoding OPL or HNSCC markers. Thus, methods can be used to monitor a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer) by detecting OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers associated with the disease.

Thus, the present invention relates to a method for diagnosing and monitoring a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or head-and-neck cancer, HNSCC or related condition) in a sample from a subject including isolating nucleic acids, preferably mRNA, from the sample; and detecting OPL or HNSCC marker polynucleotides associated with the disease in the sample. The presence of different levels of OPL or HNSCC marker polynucleotides in the sample compared to a standard or control may be indicative of head-and-neck disease, disease stage, and/or a negative or positive prognosis (e.g., longer progression-free and overall survival).

In embodiments of the invention, OPL or head-and-neck cancer marker polynucleotide positive tumors (e.g., higher levels of the polynucleotides compared to a control normal or benign sample) are a negative diagnostic indicator. Positive OPLs or tumors can be indicative of premalignant lesions with variable risk of disease progression/head-and-neck cancer, advanced stage disease, lower progression-free survival, and/or overall survival.

In other embodiments of the invention, OPL or head-and-neck cancer marker polynucleotide negative tumors (e.g., lower levels of the polynucleotides compared to a control normal or benign tissue) are a negative diagnostic indicator. Negative OPL or tumors can be indicative of premalignant lesions with variable risk of disease progression/head-and-neck cancer, advanced stage disease, lower progression-free survival, and/or overall survival.

The invention provides methods for determining the presence or absence of a head-and-neck disease in a subject including detecting in the sample levels of nucleic acids that hybridize to one or more polynucleotides encoding OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers associated with the disease, comparing the levels with a predetermined standard or cut-off value, thereby determining the presence or absence of head-and-neck disease in the subject. In an embodiment, the invention provides methods for determining the presence or absence of OPL or head-and-neck cancer, such as HNSCC in a subject including (a) contacting a sample obtained from the subject with oligonucleotides that hybridize to one or more polynucleotides encoding OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers; and (b) detecting in the sample a level of nucleic acids that hybridize to the polynucleotides relative to a predetermined cut-off value, thereby determining the presence or absence of OPL or head-and-neck cancer in the subject.

Within certain embodiments, the amount of polynucleotides that are mRNA are detected via polymerase chain reaction using, for example, oligonucleotide primers that hybridize to one or more polynucleotides encoding OPL or HNSCC markers, or complements of such polynucleotides. Within other embodiments, the amount of mRNA is detected using a hybridization technique, employing oligonucleotide probes that hybridize to one or more polynucleotides encoding OPL or HNSCC markers, or complements thereof.

When using mRNA detection, the method may be carried out by combining isolated mRNA with reagents to convert to cDNA according to standard methods; treating the converted cDNA with amplification reaction reagents (such as cDNA PCR reaction reagents) in a container along with an appropriate mixture of nucleic acid primers; reacting the contents of the container to produce amplification products; and analyzing the amplification products to detect the presence of one or more OPL or HNSCC polynucleotide markers in the sample. For mRNA the analyzing step may be accomplished using Northern Blot analysis to detect the presence of OPL or HNSCC polynucleotide markers. The analysis step may be further accomplished by quantitatively detecting the presence of OPL or HNSCC polynucleotide markers in the amplification product, and comparing the quantity of marker detected against a panel of expected values for the known presence or absence of the markers in normal and malignant tissue derived using similar primers.

Therefore, the invention provides a method wherein mRNA is detected by (a) isolating mRNA from a sample and combining the mRNA with reagents to convert it to cDNA; (b) treating the converted cDNA with amplification reaction reagents and nucleic acid primers that hybridize to one or more OPL or HNSCC polynucleotide markers to produce amplification products; (d) analyzing the amplification products to detect an amount of mRNA encoding the OPL or HNSCC markers; and (e) comparing the amount of mRNA to an amount detected against a panel of expected values for normal and diseased tissue (e.g., premalignant or malignant tissue) derived using similar nucleic acid primers.

In particular embodiments of the invention, the methods described herein utilize the OPL or HNSCC polynucleotide markers placed on a microarray so that the expression status of each of the markers is assessed simultaneously.

In a particular aspect, the invention provides a head-and-neck microarray including a defined set of genes (i.e., at least 2, 3 4, or 5 genes listed in Table 5 or Table 2) whose expression is significantly altered by head-and-neck phase or head-and-neck disease. The invention further relates to the use of the microarray as a prognostic tool to predict head-and-neck phase or head-and-neck disease. In an embodiment, the head-and-neck microarray discriminates between head-and-neck disease resulting from different etiologies.

In a particular aspect, the invention provides an OPL microarray including a defined set of genes (i.e., at least 2, 3, 4, or 5 genes listed in Table 5 or Table 7 whose expression is significantly altered by head-and-neck phase or head-and-neck disease. The invention further relates to the use of the microarray as a prognostic tool to predict head-and-neck phase or head-and-neck disease. In an embodiment, the OPL microarray discriminates between head-and-neck disease resulting from different etiologies.

In an embodiment, the invention provides for oligonucleotide arrays including marker sets described herein. The microarrays provided by the present invention may include probes to markers able to distinguish head-and-neck phase or disease. In particular, the invention provides oligonucleotide arrays including probes to a subset or subsets of at least 5 to 10 gene markers up to a full set of markers which distinguish head-and-neck disease.

The invention also contemplates a method including administering to cells or tissues imaging agents that carry labels for imaging and bind to OPL or HNSCC markers and optionally other markers of a head-and-neck disease, and then imaging the cells or tissues.

In an aspect the invention provides an in vivo method including administering to a subject an agent that has been constructed to target one or more OPL or HNSCC markers.

In a particular embodiment, the invention contemplates an in vivo method including administering to a mammal one or more agent that carries a label for imaging and binds to one or more OPL or HNSCC marker, and then imaging the mammal.

According to a particular aspect of the invention, an in vivo method for imaging OPL or head-and-neck cancer is provided including:

-   -   (a) injecting a patient with an agent that binds to one or more         OPL or HNSCC cancer marker, the agent carrying a label for         imaging the head-and-neck cancer;     -   (b) allowing the agent to incubate in vivo and bind to one or         more OPL or HNSCC cancer marker associated with the         head-and-neck cancer; and     -   (c) detecting the presence of the label localized to the OPL or         HNSCC cancer.

In an embodiment of the invention the agent is an antibody which recognizes an OPL or head-and-neck cancer marker. In another embodiment of the invention the agent is a chemical entity which recognizes an OPL or head-and-neck cancer marker.

An agent carries a label to image an OPL or head-and-neck marker and optionally other markers. Examples of labels useful for imaging are radiolabels, fluorescent labels (e.g., fluorescein and rhodamine), nuclear magnetic resonance active labels, positron emitting isotopes detectable by a positron emission tomography (“PET”) scanner, chemiluminescers such as luciferin, and enzymatic markers such as peroxidase or phosphatase. Short-range radiation emitters, such as isotopes detectable by short-range detector probes can also be employed.

The invention also contemplates the localization or imaging methods described herein using multiple markers for a head-and-neck disease (e.g., leukoplakia with hyperplasia or dysplasia (OPL) or head-and-neck cancer, HNSCC or related conditions).

The invention also relates to kits for carrying out the methods of the invention. In an embodiment, a kit is for assessing whether a patient is afflicted with a head-and-neck disease (e.g., or leukoplakia with hyperplasia or dysplasia (OPL) or head-and-neck cancer or HNSCC or related conditions) and it includes reagents for assessing one or more head-and-neck cancer markers or polynucleotides encoding the markers.

The invention further provides kits including marker sets described herein. In an aspect the kit contains a microarray ready for hybridization to target OPL or HNSCC oligonucleotide markers, plus software for the data analyses.

The invention also provides a diagnostic composition including an OPL or HNSCC marker or a polynucleotide encoding the marker. A composition is also provided including a probe that specifically hybridizes to OPL or HNSCC polynucleotide markers, or a fragment thereof, or an antibody specific for OPL or HNSCC markers or a fragment thereof. In another aspect, a composition is provided including one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide marker specific primer pairs capable of amplifying the polynucleotides using polymerase chain reaction methodologies. The probes, primers or antibodies can be labeled with a detectable substance.

Still further the invention relates to therapeutic applications for head-and-neck diseases, in particular OPL or head-and-neck cancer, employing OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers and polynucleotides encoding the markers, and/or binding agents for the markers.

In an aspect, the invention relates to compositions including markers or parts thereof associated with a head-and-neck disease, or antibodies specific for OPL or HNSCC markers associated with a head-and-neck disease, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, excipient, or diluent. A method for treating or preventing a head-and-neck disease, in particular OPL or head-and-neck cancer (e.g., HNSCC), in a patient is also provided including administering to a patient in need thereof, markers or parts thereof associated with a head-and-neck disease, antibodies specific for OPL or HNSCC markers associated with a head-and-neck disease, or a composition of the invention. In an aspect the invention provides a method of treating a patient afflicted with or at risk of developing a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or head-and-neck cancer) including inhibiting expression of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers.

In an aspect, the invention provides antibodies specific for OPL or HNSCC markers associated with a disease (e.g., leukoplakia with hyperplasia or dysplasia or HNSCC) that can be used therapeutically to destroy or inhibit the disease (e.g., the growth of OPL or HNSCC marker expressing cancer cells), or to block OPL or HNSCC marker activity associated with a disease. In an aspect, OPL or HNSCC markers may be used in various immunotherapeutic methods to promote immune-mediated destruction or growth inhibition of tumors expressing OPL or HNSCC markers.

The invention also contemplates a method of using OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or parts thereof, or antibodies specific for OPL or HNSCC markers in the preparation or manufacture of a medicament for the prevention or treatment of a head-and-neck disease (e.g., leukoplakia with hyperplasia or dysplasia (OPL) or head-and-neck cancer, HNSCC or related conditions).

Another aspect of the invention is the use of OPL or HNSCC markers, peptides derived therefrom, or chemically produced (synthetic) peptides, or any combination of these molecules, for use in the preparation of vaccines to prevent a head-and-neck disease and/or to treat a head-and-neck disease.

The invention contemplates vaccines for stimulating or enhancing in a subject to whom the vaccine is administered production of antibodies directed against one or more HNSCC markers.

The invention also provides a method for stimulating or enhancing in a subject production of antibodies directed against one or more OPL or HNSCC marker. The method includes administering to the subject a vaccine of the invention in a dose effective for stimulating or enhancing production of the antibodies.

The invention further provides a method for treating, preventing, or delaying recurrence of a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or head-and-neck cancer, HNSCC or related conditions). The method includes administering to the subject a vaccine of the invention in a dose effective for treating, preventing, or delaying recurrence of a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or head-and-neck cancer, HNSCC or related conditions).

The invention contemplates the methods, compositions, and kits described herein using additional markers associated with a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or head-and-neck cancer, HNSCCm or related conditions). The methods described herein may be modified by including reagents to detect the additional markers, or polynucleotides for the markers.

In particular, the invention contemplates the methods described herein using multiple markers for OPL or HNSCC cancer. Therefore, the invention contemplates a method for analyzing a biological sample for the presence of OPL or HNSCC markers and polynucleotides encoding the markers, and other markers that are specific indicators of cancer, in particular head-and-neck cancer. The methods described herein may be modified by including reagents to detect the additional markers, or nucleic acids for the additional markers.

In embodiments of the invention the methods, compositions and kits use one or more of the markers listed in Table 5, in particular those listed in Table 2 and Table 7. In another embodiment, the method uses a panel of markers selected from the markers listed in Table 5, and in one embodiment of those listed in Table 2 and Table 7 in particular a panel including two, three or four or more of the markers in Table 5.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific examples while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE TABLES AND DRAWINGS Tables

Table 1. iTRAQ ratios for HNSCC and non-cancerous head-and-neck tissue samples. HNSCC samples (C1-05, cancer of the buccal mucosa; C6-C10, cancer of the tongue), non-paired non-cancerous samples (N1, N4, N5), and paired non-cancerous samples (N2, N3) versus the pooled non-paired non-cancerous control. Grey boxes, not detected; NQ, not quantified; 9999, no expression observed in the pooled sample

Table 2. Receiver-operating characteristics from the iTRAQ ratios of a panel of three best-performing biomarkers-YWHAZ, stratifin, and S100A7-individually and as a panel.

Table 3. Receiver-operating characteristics from the IHC scores of a panel of three best-performing biomarkers-YWHAZ, stratifin, and S100A7-individually and as a panel.

Table 4. Comparison of receiver-operating characteristics from the iTRAQ ratios of the panel of three best-performing biomarkers. Non-paired non-cancerous tissues give better sensitivity and specificity as comparators than do paired non-cancerous tissues.

Table 5. Differentially-expressed proteins not previously described in OPLs and head-and-neck malignancies and cancer.

Table 6. Average iTRAQ ratios for OPLs and histologically-normal control oral tissue samples. Ratios are from the comparison between OPLs (D1-D6) and the pooled normal sample, and the comparison between histologically-normal oral tissues (N1-N3) and the pooled normal sample. N4-N6 are histologically-normal oral tissues analyzed in an earlier iTRAQ analysis using the same pooled normal control to demonstrate consistent iTRAQ ratios in different experiments analyzed over different time periods. ND, not detected; NQ, not quantified

Table 7. Receiver-operating characteristics from (A) the iTRAQ ratios and (B) IHC scores of a panel of three best-performing biomarkers-YWHAZ, stratifin, and hnRNPK-individually and as a panel.

Table 8. Analysis of Stratifin and YWHAZ in HNOSCCs: correlation with clinicopathological parameters.

Table 9a. Analysis of overexpression of hnRNPK protein in oral lesions and correlation with clinicopathological parameters.

Table 9b. Biomarker analysis of hnRNPK (nuclear/cytoplasmic) in oral lesions.

Table 10. Alternate accession numbers for OPL proteins.

Table 11. Peptide sequences and coverage for HNSCC and OPL.

Table 12. Clinicopathological parameters of patients with oral premalignant lesions (OPLs).

Table 13. Antibodies used for immunohistochemistry and Western Blotting: sources and dilutions.

Table 14. RT-PCR analysis primers and PCR conditions.

Table 15. Molecules identified in the Networks and their cellular functions.

Figures

FIG. 1 provides a flow diagram for online 2D LC-MS/MS analysis. In position 1, ports 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, and 9-10 are connected; in position 2, ports 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, and 10-1 are connected. In the diagram, the valves are shown at the initial (Time=0 min) positions.

FIG. 2 shows a receiver-operating-characteristic curves of a panel of three best-performing biomarkers, YWHAZ, stratifin, and S100 A7: (a) iTRAQ ratios, and (b) IHC scores.

FIG. 3 presents an immunohistochemical verification of iTRAQ-discovered potential cancer markers, YWHAZ, stratifin, and S100 A7 in HNSCCs and non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues. Positive staining is brown and is intense in HNSCCs. The left panel shows the noncancerous (histologically normal) tissues and the right panel depicts the HNSCC tissue sections. Panel A: the HNSCC sample shows intense cytoplasmic and nuclear staining for YWHAZ, while the normal mucosa shows no detectable immunostaining Panel B: the HNSCC tissue section shows cytoplasmic staining for stratifin in tumor cells, while the normal mucosa shows no detectable immunostaining Panel C: the HNSCC tissue section shows intense cytoplasmic staining for S100A7 in tumor cells, while the normal mucosa shows no detectable immunoreactivity. All panels show ×200 magnifications.

FIG. 4 depicts Western blot analyses of YWHAZ, Stratifin and S100 A7 in HNSCCs and paired noncancerous head-and-neck tissues. Equal amounts of protein lysates from HNSCCs and paired non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues were employed. See the text for details. The Panels show increased expression of (i) YWHAZ, (ii) stratifin, and (iii) S100A7 in HNSCCs (C1-C3) as compared to paired non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues (N1-N3). Alpha-tubulin (Panel 4) was used as the loading control.

FIG. 5 shows RT-PCR analyses of YWHAZ, stratifin, and S100 A7 in HNSCCs and non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues: Panel (i) shows increased levels of YWHAZ transcripts in HNSCCs (C1-C3) as compared to the non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues that show basal levels (N2 and N3) and no detectable level (N1) of YWHAZ transcripts. Panel (ii) shows increased levels of stratifin transcripts in HNSCCs (C1-C3) as compared to the non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues that show basal level (N3) and no detectable level (N1 and N2) of stratifin transcripts. Panel (iii) shows increased levels of S100A7 transcripts in HNSCCs (C1-C3) as compared to the non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues that show basal level (N3) and no detectable level (N1 and N2) of S100A7 transcripts. β-Actin (Panel iv) was used as a control for normalizing the quantity of RNA used.

FIG. 6 provides receiver-operating-characteristic curves of a panel of three best-performing biomarkers, YWHAZ, stratifin, and hnRNPK: (A) iTRAQ ratios, and (B) IHC scores.

FIG. 7 presents an immunohistochemical verification of iTRAQ-discovered potential biomarkers, YWHAZ, stratifin, hnRNPK, S100A7, and PTHA in OPLs and histologically normal oral tissues. Verification of the panel of these 5 potential biomarkers was carried out using an independent set of 30 OPLs and 21 histological normal oral tissues. Representative photomicrographs are shown here. Positive staining is brown and is intense in OPLs. The upper panel shows the normal tissues and the lower panel the OPL tissue sections. Panel A: the OPL sample shows intense cytoplasmic and nuclear staining for YWHAZ, while the normal mucosa shows no detectable immunostaining Panel B: the OPL tissue section exhibits cytoplasmic staining for stratifin in epithelial cells, while the normal mucosa shows no detectable immunostaining Panel C: the OPL tissue section shows nuclear staining for hnRNPK in epithelial cells, while no detectable immunostaining is evident in the normal mucosa. Panel D: the OPL sample shows intense cytoplasmic staining for S100A7 in epithelial cells, while the normal mucosa displays no detectable immunoreactivity. Panel E: the OPL sample exhibits intense nuclear staining for PTHA in epithelial cells, while no detectable immunostaining is evident in the normal sample. All panels show ×100 magnifications.

FIG. 8A illustrates Western blot analyses of YWHAZ, stratifin, hnRNPK, S100A7 and PTHA in representative OPLs and histologically normal oral tissues. The OPLs and histologically normal oral tissues (n=3) were selected randomly from the same cohort of tissues as used for IHC analysis and the results shown are representative of 3 independent experiments. Equal amounts of protein lysates from OPLs (D1-D3) and histologically normal oral tissues (N1-N3) were used. The panels show increased expression of (i) YWHAZ, (ii) stratifin, (iii) hnRNPK, (iv) S100A7, and (v) PTHA in OPLs (D1-D3) as compared to the histologically normal oral tissues (N1-N3). α-tubulin (Panel (vi)) was used as the loading control.

FIG. 8B depicts RT-PCR analyses of YWHAZ, stratifin, hnRNPK, S100A7, and PTHA in representative OPLs and histologically normal oral tissues selected randomly, as used for IHC and Western blot analysis and the results shown are representative of 3 independent experiments: Panel (i) shows increased levels of YWHAZ transcripts in OPLs (D1-D3) as compared to the histologically normal oral tissues (N1-N3) that did not show detectable levels of YWHAZ transcripts. Panel (ii) demonstrates increased levels of stratifin transcripts in OPLs (D1-D3) as compared to the histologically normal oral tissues (N1-N3) that show basal level (N1) and no detectable level (N2 and N3) of stratifin transcripts. Panel (iii) shows increased levels of hnRNPK transcripts in OPLs (D1-D3) as compared to the histologically normal oral tissues (N1-N3), in which no detectable levels of hnRNPK transcripts are evident. Panel (iv) exhibits increased levels of S100A7 transcripts in OPLs (D1-D3) as compared to no detectable levels in the histologically normal oral tissues (N1-N3). Panel (v) shows increased levels of PTHA transcripts in OPLs (D1-D3) as compared to the histologically normal oral tissues (N1-N3) in which no detectable levels of PTHA transcripts are evident. β-Actin (Panel iv) was used as a control for normalizing the quantity of RNA used.

FIG. 8C shows network analysis using ingenuity pathways analysis (IPA) software. Differentially expressed proteins identified in OPLs in comparison with normal oral tissues were analyzed using the IPA software. Network analysis classified proteins into 2 networks on the basis of function cited previously in literature. Above panel shows merged network of the pathways identified using IPA software. Bold lines (-) show direct interactions/regulation while dashed lines (---) show indirect interactions/regulation of proteins at the ends of line. Proteins shown in red color are upregulated and in green color are down-regulated in OPLs in comparison with normal tissues.

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate identification of stratifin and YWHAZ, respectively, in HNOSCCs by mass spectrometry. The peptides for which MS/MS spectra are shown are colored red and in a larger font. Those that are common between stratifin and YWHAZ are shown in purple. Other peptides observed are in blue. The matched b ions are shown in green, and the matched y ions in red.

FIG. 10 provides an immunohistochemical analysis of stratifin in head-and-neck cancer tissues. Paraffin-embedded HNOSCC tissue sections and non-malignant mucosa were stained using anti-stratifin antibody (all ×100 magnifications): Panel a shows normal oral mucosa with no detectable stratifin immunostaining; Panel b shows HNOSCC with strong cytoplasmic and nuclear stratifin immunostaining in the tumor cells; Panel c shows HNOSCC negative control with lack of staining in the tumor cells.

FIG. 11 shows a box-plot analysis. The box plot shows distribution of total scores of stratifin in HNOSCCs and non-malignant head-and-neck tissues.

FIG. 12 sets forth a co-immunoprecipitation assay and Western blot analysis. Immunoprecipitation assays of stratifin, YWHAZ, NFκB, Bcl-2, and β-catenin proteins were carried out using specific antibodies in head-and-neck cancer cells, HSC2. FIG. 12 a shows immunoblot analysis for stratifin, demonstrating the binding of stratifin with YWHAZ, NFκB, Bcl-2, and β-catenin, and the lack of binding in the negative control. Similarly, reverse immunoprecipitation assays were carried out using specific antibodies for YWHAZ, NFκB, Bcl-2, and β-catenin. FIG. 12 b shows immunoblot analysis for: (i) YWHAZ, (ii) NFκB, (iii) Bcl-2, and (iv) β-catenin confirming the binding of these proteins with stratifin.

FIG. 13 illustrates a Kaplan-Meier estimation of cumulative proportion of disease-free survival: 13 a, stratifin protein expression; the median time for disease-free survival (no recurrence/metastasis) in patients with stratifin-positive tumors was 19 months, whereas in those with stratifin-negative tumors it was 38 months (p=0.06). 13 b, YWHAZ protein expression; the median time for disease-free survival (no recurrence/metastasis) in patients with YWHAZ-positive tumors was 23 months, whereas in those with YWHAZ-negative tumors it was 35 months (p=0.08). 13 c, concomitant stratifin and YWHAZ expressions; the median time for disease-free survival of patients with HNOSCCs showing concomitant expressions of stratifin and YWHAZ (Stratifin+/YWHAZ+) was 13 months, as compared to patients with tumors that did not show increased expression of either of these proteins with the median time for disease-free survival being 38 months (p=0.019).

FIG. 14 shows an immunohistochemical analysis of hnRNPK in head-and-neck cancer tissues. Paraffin-embedded sections of histologically normal mucosa, leukoplakia with no evidence of dysplasia or with dysplasia and HNOSCCs were stained using anti-hnRNPK monoclonal antibody as described herein. (a) Normal oral mucosa with no detectable hnRNPK immunostaining (b) Leukoplakic lesion with no dysplasia showing nuclear hnRNPK immunostaining (c) Leukoplakic lesion with no dysplasia showing nuclear and cytoplasmic hnRNPK immunostaining (d) Dysplasia depicting nuclear hnRNPK immunostaining in epithelial cells. (e) Dysplasia depicting nuclear and cytoplasmic hnRNPK immunostaining in epithelial cells. (f) HNOSCC section illustrating only nuclear hnRNPK immunostaining in the tumor cells. (g) HNOSCC section showing both cytoplasmic and nuclear staining in tumor cells. (h) HNOSCC section showing no immunostaining in tumor cells for hnRNPK protein serving as a negative control. Arrow shows nuclear staining of hnRNPK in panels b, d, and f, and nuclear and cytoplasmic staining in panel c, e, and g. a-h, original magnification×200

FIG. 15 presents receiver-operating characteristic curves of hnRNPK (nuclear/cytoplasmic) in (a) normal vs. leukoplakia with no evidence of dysplasia; (b) normal vs. dysplasia; and (c) normal vs. HNOSCCs. Bold line shows ROC analysis for nuclear hnRNPK. Dashed line shows ROC analysis for cytoplasmic hnRNPK.

FIG. 16 depicts an evaluation of hnRNPK expression (nuclear/cytoplasmic) as a biomarker for risk prediction of oral leukoplakia and prognosis of HNOSCCs. The figure shows estimated (a) positive predictive value (PPV) and (b) negative predictive value (NPV) for nuclear/cytoplasmic hnRNPK expression as prognostic biomarkers for disease progression of leukoplakia. Panels c and d show PPV and NPV for recurrence in HNOSCC patients, respectively.

FIG. 17 illustrates a Kaplan-Meier estimation of cumulative proportion of disease-free survival showing: (a) significantly reduced time for disease progression (p<0.001; median time=17 months) in leukoplakia patients showing increased cytoplasmic expression of hnRNPK as compared to median time of 35 months in the patients showing no/faint immunostaining of hnRNPK in cytoplasm; (b) median time for disease progression (34 months) was observed in leukoplakia patients showing intense nuclear expression of hnRNPK (n=78) as compared to patients who did not show increased nuclear hnRNPK; and (c) Median time for disease-free survival (no recurrence/metastasis) in HNOSCC patients showing cytoplasmic immunostaining of hnRNPK was 11 months, whereas in those patients showing no/faint hnRNPK-immunostaining in cytoplasm it was 41 months (p=0.004). In patients showing increased nuclear expression disease (d), free survival was 14 months as compared to HNOSCCs that showed mild or moderate nuclear immunostaining (median disease-free survival=57 months, p=0.07).

FIG. 18 depicts validation of hnRNPK expression in oral lesions. (a) Western blot analysis of hnRNPK in normal mucosa, leukoplakia and HNOSCC tissues. Equal amount of protein lysates from these tissues were electrophoresced on 12% SDS-PAGE and transferred to PVDF membrane. The membrane was incubated with respective primary antibodies and secondary antibodies as described herein, and the signal detected by enhanced chemiluminescence method. Panel (a) shows increased expression of hnRNPK in leukoplakia (L) and HNOSCCs (T) as compared to paired non-malignant head-and-neck tissues (N). Actin was used as control for equal loading of protein in SDS-PAGE (lower panel). (b) RT-PCR analysis of hnRNPK in normal mucosa, leukoplakia and HNOSCC tissues. Panel shows increased levels of hnRNPK transcripts in leukoplakia (L) and HNOSCCs (T) as compared to the non-malignant head-and-neck tissues that showed basal levels (N) of hnRNPK transcripts. β-actin, used as a control to normalize the quantity of RNA used for each RT-PCR reaction, is shown in the lower panel.

FIG. 19A-E presents CID spectra of the single-peptide identifications in the HNSCC and OPL.

FIG. 20 illustrates negative and positive controls for IHC in OPLs.

FIGS. 21A and 21B depict CID spectra of the peptide identifications for hnRNPK in OPLs.

FIG. 22 sets forth a Kaplan-Meier analysis of OPLs with no evidence of dysplasia showing overexpression of hnRNPK.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Multidimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has been used for the analysis of biological samples labeled with isobaric mass tags (iTRAQ) to identify proteins that are differentially expressed in human head-and-neck squamous-cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) in relation to non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues (control) for cancer biomarker discovery. Fifteen individual samples (cancer and non-cancerous tissues) were compared against a pooled non-cancerous control (prepared by pooling equal amounts of proteins from six noncancerous tissues) in five sets by online and offline separation. Eight hundred and eleven (811) non-redundant proteins in HNSCCs were identified, including structural proteins, signaling components, enzymes, receptors, transcription factors and chaperones.

A panel of proteins showing consistent differential expression in HNSCC relative to the non-cancerous controls was discovered. Some of the proteins include stratifin (14-3-3 sigma), YWHAZ (14-3-3 zeta), three calcium-binding proteins of the S100 family, S100A 2, 5100A 7 (psoriasin) and S100A 11 (calgizarrin), prothymosin alpha (PTHA), L-lactate dehydrogenase A chain (LDH-A), glutathione S transferase-Pi, APCbinding protein EB1, and fascin. Peroxiredoxin2, carbonic anhydrase I, flavin reductase, histone H3, and polybromo-1D (BAF180) were underexpressed in HNSCCs.

A panel of the three best performing biomarkers—YWHAZ, stratifin, and S100A7—achieved a sensitivity of 0.92 and a specificity of 0.91 in discriminating cancerous from non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues (Table 7A). Verification of differential expression of YWHAZ, stratifin and S100A7 proteins in clinical samples of HNSCCs and paired and non-paired non-cancerous tissues by immunohistochemistry (Table 7B), immunoblotting, and RT-PCR confirmed their overexpression in head-and-neck cancer. Verification of YWHAZ, stratifin and S100A7 in an independent set of HNSCCs achieved a sensitivity of 0.92 and a specificity of 0.87 in discriminating cancerous from non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues, thereby confirming their overexpressions and utility as credible cancer biomarkers.

The inventors also used iTRAQ labeling in combination with multidimensional LC-MS/MS analysis of oral leukoplakia with dysplasia (oral premalignant lesions, or OPLs) in order to compare protein profiles of OPLs and normal head-and-neck tissues. Nine individual samples (6 OPLs and 3 normal tissues) were compared against a pooled normal control (prepared by pooling equal amounts of proteins from six noncancerous tissues) in five sets by online and offline separation.

The LC-MS/MS analyses collectively resulted in identification of 459 non-redundant proteins; 216 were identified as single hits with more than 95% confidence. Of all the proteins identified, only 17 were differentially expressed in OPLs relative to normal control (observed in ≧3 out of the 6 samples and with >50% showing differential expression). Of these, 15 proteins were confidently identified with a minimum of two peptide matches in each case. Two proteins, parathymosin and DLC1 were identified by single peptides. All these 17 proteins are given in Table 6, along with two structural proteins: β-actin and gelsolin precursor as controls. The heat map in Table 6 also depicts the variations in the levels of overexpressed and underexpressed proteins in individual OPL and histological normal tissues versus the pooled normal control. These differential expression levels were averages of the replicate analyses: 56.4% of the ratios varied by less than 10% from their respective averages shown, and 82.0% varied by less than 20%.

Thirteen proteins that did not meet the aforementioned initial criteria—IGL2, P37AUF1 (HNRPD), SOD2, PKM2, ROA1HNRNPA1, HSP27, cofilin, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, NDP kinase B, elongation factor 2, CALM3, PEBP, and S100A7—were also included in Table 5 for further analysis, as these proteins are of biological relevance in cancer development. Of these, 11 proteins were confidently identified with a minimum of two peptide matches in each case. p37AUF1 (hnRNP D) was identified by a single peptide with a confidence of 99%. SOD2 was identified by more than one unique peptides, however, the best matching peptide was identified with a confidence of 93%. Although, individually this peptide did not meet the inventors' stipulated criteria for acceptance, manual verification of the spectrum showed good sequence coverage for this peptide. Furthermore, the cumulative score which included the lower confidence peptide matches was >2.0 and corresponded with a confidence of 99%.

The best-performing proteins that can differentiate between OPLs and normal tissues were identified by determining the individual receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves of the proteins in Table 7. The three proteins with the highest AUC values-YWHAZ, stratifin and hnRNPK—are listed in Table 7A together with their individual and collective figures-of-merit, including sensitivity and specificity. As a panel, these three biomarkers achieved a sensitivity of 0.83 and a specificity of 0.74 in discriminating OPLs from histological normal oral tissues (Table 7A and FIG. 6A).

The panel of three potential biomarkers, YWHAZ, stratifin and hnRNPK, and two other proteins with high AUC values, S100A7 (0.56) and PTHA (0.56), were chosen for verification in an independent set of OPLs (30 cases) and normal tissues (21 cases) by IHC. Representative levels of expression and subcellular localizations of all the five proteins in oral dysplastic tissues in comparison with normal tissues are shown in FIG. 7A-E. These data were further verified by Western blot analysis (FIG. 8A) at the protein level, as well as RT-PCR analysis at the mRNA level (FIG. 8B). The differential expression suggested by iTRAQ ratios tended to be moderate, while the results of Western and RT-PCR analyses tended to show more extreme differential expression. Thus, Western and RT-PCR analyses, verified the differential expression reported by the iTRAQ analysis in trend but not in scale. This discrepancy of scale has also been noted in other studies ascribed to compression of the dynamic range of iTRAQ ratios (21). Importantly, in IHC analysis, the biomarker panel of YWHAZ, stratifin, and hnRNPK achieved a sensitivity of 0.91, specificity of 0.95, and predictive value of 0.96 (Table 7B and FIG. 7B) in discriminating OPLs from histological normal oral tissues.

To gain insight into the plausible biological processes in which these proteins might be involved, the inventors used the Ingenuity pathway analysis tools (Ingenuity Systems, Inc. software) and discovered two major networks in OPLs (FIG. 8C). The network comprised of 23 proteins identified in this study that are primarily involved in inflammation, molecular transport, cellular movement, cellular signaling, proliferation, gene expression and cancer. To the best of the inventors' knowledge, this is the first study reporting differential expressions of p37AUF1 (HNRPD) and histone H2B.1 in OPLs.

Accordingly, the inventors describe herein methods for detecting the presence of a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or head-and-neck cancer) in a sample, the absence of a disease (e.g., OPL or head-and-neck cancer) in a sample, the stage or grade of the disease, and other characteristics of head-and-neck diseases that are relevant to prevention, diagnosis, characterization, and therapy of head-and-neck diseases such as OPL or cancer in a patient, for example, the benign, premalignant or malignant nature of a head-and-neck cancer, the metastatic potential of a head-and-neck cancer, assessing the histological type of neoplasm associated with a head-and-neck cancer, the indolence or aggressiveness of a leukoplakia with hyperplasia or dysplasia or head-and-neck cancer, and other characteristics of head-and-neck diseases that are relevant to prevention, diagnosis, characterization, and therapy of head-and-neck diseases such as OPL or cancer in a patient. Methods are also provided for assessing the efficacy of one or more test agents for inhibiting a head-and-neck disease, assessing the efficacy of a therapy for a head-and-neck disease, monitoring the progression of a head-and-neck disease, selecting an agent or therapy for inhibiting a head-and-neck disease, treating a patient afflicted with a head-and-neck disease, inhibiting a head-and-neck disease in a patient, and assessing the disease (e.g., carcinogenic) potential of a test compound.

Abbreviation Index.

For convenience, certain abbreviations used in the description, tables, figures, and appended claims are defined here: iTRAQ, isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification; LC, liquid chromatography; MS/MS, tandem mass spectrometry; PCM, potential cancer marker; HNSCC, head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma; LCM, laser capture microdissection; PBS, phosphate-buffered saline; SCX, strong cation exchange; ID, internal diameter; RP, reverse phase; IDA, information-dependent acquisition; TBS, tris-buffered saline; SFN, stratifin or 14-3-3 sigma; YWHAZ, 14-3-3 zeta; LDH-A, L-lactate dehydrogenase A; SD, standard deviation; ROC, receiver-operating characteristics; PPIA, peptidyl prolyl isomerase A; PV, predictive values; PPV, positive predictive values; PTHA, prothymosin alpha; PKM2, pyruvate kinase isozyme M2; AUC, area under the curve; RSD, relative standard deviation; TMA, tissue microarray.

Glossary.

For convenience, certain terms employed in the specification, examples, and appended claims are collected here.

The recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints herein includes all numbers and fractions subsumed within that range (e.g., 1 to 5 includes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3, 3.90, 4, and 5). It is also to be understood that all numbers and fractions thereof are presumed to be modified by the term “about.” Furthermore, it is to be understood that “a”, “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a composition or method comprising “a head-and-neck marker” includes two or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers. The term “about” means plus or minus 0.1 to 50%, 5-50%, or 10-40%, preferably 10-20%, more preferably 10% or 15%, of the number to which reference is being made.

“Head-and-neck disease” refers to any disorder, disease, condition, syndrome or combination of manifestations or symptoms recognized or diagnosed as a disorder of the head and neck, including but not limited to hyperplasia, dysplasia and cancer precursors, head-and-neck cancer or carcinoma.

“Head-and-neck cancer” or “head-and-neck carcinoma” includes malignant head-and-neck disease including but not limited to squamous cell and adenocarcinomas.

Biomarkers of head-and-neck precancers includes OPL markers including but not limited to oral leukoplakia with hyperplasia or dysplasia.

The terms “sample”, “biological sample”, and the like mean a material known or suspected of expressing or containing one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers or one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers. A test sample can be used directly as obtained from the source or following a pretreatment to modify the character of the sample. The sample can be derived from any biological source, such as tissues, extracts, or cell cultures, including cells (e.g., tumor cells), cell lysates, and physiological fluids, such as, for example, whole blood, plasma, serum, saliva, ocular lens fluid, cerebral spinal fluid, sweat, urine, milk, ascites fluid, synovial fluid, peritoneal fluid, lavage fluid, and the like. The sample can be obtained from animals, preferably mammals, most preferably humans. The sample can be treated prior to use, such as preparing plasma from blood, diluting viscous fluids, and the like. Methods of treatment can involve filtration, distillation, extraction, concentration, inactivation of interfering components, the addition of reagents, and the like.

In embodiments of the invention the sample is a mammalian tissue sample. In a particular embodiment, the tissue is head-and-neck tissue.

In another embodiment the sample is a human physiological fluid. In a particular embodiment, the sample is human serum.

The samples that may be analyzed in accordance with the invention include polynucleotides from clinically relevant sources, preferably expressed RNA or a nucleic acid derived therefrom (cDNA or amplified RNA derived from cDNA that incorporates an RNA polymerase promoter). The target polynucleotides can comprise RNA, including, without limitation total cellular RNA, poly(A)⁺ messenger RNA (mRNA) or fraction thereof, cytoplasmic mRNA, or RNA transcribed from cDNA (i.e., cRNA; see, for example, Linsley & Schelter, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/411,074, or U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,545,522; 5,891,636; or 5,716,785). Methods for preparing total and poly(A)⁺ RNA are well known in the art, and are described generally, for example, in Sambrook et al., (1989, Molecular Cloning—A Laboratory Manual (2^(nd) Ed.), Vols. 1-3, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.) and Ausubel et al., eds. (1994, Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Vol. 2, Current Protocols Publishing, New York). RNA may be isolated from eukaryotic cells by procedures involving lysis of the cells and denaturation of the proteins contained in the cells. Additional steps may be utilized to remove DNA. Cell lysis may be achieved with a non-ionic detergent, followed by microcentrifugation to remove the nuclei and hence the bulk of the cellular DNA. (See Chirgwin et al., 1979, Biochemistry 18:5294-5299). Poly(A)+RNA can be selected using oligo-dT cellulose (see Sambrook et al., 1989, Molecular Cloning—A Laboratory Manual (2nd Ed.), Vols. 1-3, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.). In the alternative, RNA can be separated from DNA by organic extraction, for example, with hot phenol or phenol/chloroform/isoamyl alcohol.

It may be desirable to enrich mRNA with respect to other cellular RNAs, such as transfer RNA (tRNA) and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Most mRNAs contain a poly(A) tail at their 3′ end allowing them to be enriched by affinity chromatography, for example, using oligo(dT) or poly(U) coupled to a solid support, such as cellulose or Sephadex™ (see Ausubel et al., eds., 1994, Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Vol. 2, Current Protocols Publishing, New York). Bound poly(A)+mRNA is eluted from the affinity column using 2 mM EDTA/0.1% SDS.

A sample of RNA can comprise a plurality of different mRNA molecules each with a different nucleotide sequence. In an aspect of the invention, the mRNA molecules in the RNA sample comprise at least 100 different nucleotide sequences.

Target polynucleotides can be detectably labeled at one or more nucleotides using methods known in the art. The label is preferably uniformly incorporated along the length of the RNA, and more preferably, is carried out at a high degree of efficiency. The detectable label can be a luminescent label, fluorescent label, bio-luminescent label, chemiluminescent label, radiolabel, and colorimetric label. In a particular embodiment, the label is a fluorescent label, such as a fluorescein, a phosphor, a rhodamine, or a polymethine dye derivative. Commercially available fluorescent labels include, for example, fluorescent phosphoramidites, such as FluorePrime (Amersham Pharmacia, Piscataway, N.J.), Fluoredite (Millipore, Bedford, Mass.), FAM (ABI, Foster City, Calif.), and Cy3 or Cy5 (Amersham Pharmacia, Piscataway, N.J.).

Target polynucleotides from a patient sample can be labeled differentially from polynucleotides of a standard. The standard can comprise target polynucleotides from normal individuals (i.e., those not afflicted with or pre-disposed to head-and-neck disease), in particular pooled from samples from normal individuals. The target polynucleotides can be derived from the same individual, but taken at different time points, and thus indicate the efficacy of a treatment by a change in expression of the markers, or lack thereof, during and after the course of treatment.

The terms “subject”, “individual”, and “patient” refer to a warm-blooded animal such as a mammal. In particular, the terms refer to a human. A subject, individual or patient may be afflicted with or suspected of having or being pre-disposed to head-and-neck disease or a condition as described herein. The terms also includes domestic animals bred for food or as pets, including horses, cows, sheep, poultry, fish, pigs, cats, dogs, and zoo animals.

Methods herein for administering an agent or composition to subjects/individuals/patients contemplate treatment as well as prophylactic use. Typical subjects for treatment include persons susceptible to, suffering from or that have suffered a condition or disease described herein. In particular, suitable subjects for treatment in accordance with the invention are persons that are susceptible to, suffering from or that have suffered head-and-neck cancer.

The term “head-and-neck marker” refers to a marker associated with normal or diseased head-and-neck tissue and includes or consists of one or more of the polypeptides that are up-regulated in cancer samples as compared to normal samples in Table 1 and Table 7, those listed in Table 5, in particular The term includes native-sequence polypeptides, isoforms, chimeric polypeptides, complexes, all homologs, fragments, precursors, and modified forms and derivatives of the markers.

A head-and-neck marker may be associated with a head-and-neck disease, in particular it may be an OPL or head-and-neck cancer marker. The term “OPL or head-and-neck cancer marker” includes a marker associated with OPL or head-and-neck cancer, in particular a marker listed in Table 5.

The terms “YWHAZ”, “YWHAZ polypeptide”, and “YWHAZ protein” include human YWHAZ, in particular the native-sequence polypeptide, isoforms, chimeric polypeptides, all homologs, fragments, precursors, complexes, and modified forms and derivatives of human YWHAZ. The amino acid sequence for native human YWHAZ includes the amino acid sequences referenced in NCBI Gene ID: Q86V33, including GenBank Accession Nos. P29213, P29312, Q32P43, Q5XJ08, Q6GPI2, Q6IN74, Q6NUR9, Q6P3U9, and the exemplary sequences shown in SEQ ID NO: 24 (GenBank Accession No. P63104; sequence provided in Appendix 1). Corresponding terms for “S100A7”, “stratifin”, and “hnRNPK” have similar meanings. The amino acid sequence for native human S100A7 includes the amino acid sequences referenced in NCBI Gene ID: P31151, including GenBank Accession Nos. Q6FGE3, Q9H1E2, and the exemplary sequences shown in SEQ ID NO: 13 (GenBank Accession No. P31151; sequence provided in Appendix 1). The amino acid sequence for native human stratifin includes the amino acid sequences referenced in NCBI Gene ID: P31947, including GenBank Accession Nos. Q6FH30, Q6FH51, Q96DH0, and the exemplary sequences shown in SEQ ID NO: 23 (GenBank Accession No. P31947; sequence provided in Appendix 1). The amino acid sequence for native human hnRNPK includes the amino acid sequences referenced in NCBI Gene ID: gi|48429103, NP_(—)002131.2, P61978.1 including GenBank Accession Nos. 574678.1, NP_(—)112552.1, AAB20770.1, NP_(—)112553.1, X72727.1, 1J5K_A, CAA51267.1, 1KHM_A, AB209562.1, 1ZZI_A, BAD92799.1, 1ZZI_B, BC000355.2, 1ZZJ_A, AAH00355.1, 1ZZJ_B, BC014980.1, 1ZZJ_C, AAH14980.1, 1ZZK_A, and the exemplary sequences shown in SEQ ID NO: 25 (GenBank Accession No. P61978.1; sequence provided in Appendix 1).

A “native-sequence polypeptide” includes a polypeptide having the same amino acid sequence of a polypeptide derived from nature. Such native-sequence polypeptides can be isolated from nature or can be produced by recombinant or synthetic means. The term specifically encompasses naturally occurring truncated or secreted forms of a polypeptide, polypeptide variants including naturally occurring variant forms (e.g., alternatively spliced forms or splice variants), and naturally occurring allelic variants.

The term “polypeptide variant” means a polypeptide having at least about 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 97%, 98%, or 99% amino acid sequence identity, particularly at least about 70-80%, more particularly at least about 85%, still more particularly at least about 90%, most particularly at least about 95% amino acid sequence identity with a native-sequence polypeptide. Particular polypeptide variants have at least 70-80%, 85%, 90%, 95% amino acid sequence identity to the sequences identified in Table 5 or 2 or 7. Such variants include, for instance, polypeptides wherein one or more amino acid residues are added to, or deleted from, the N- or C-terminus of the full-length or mature sequences of the polypeptide, including variants from other species, but excludes a native-sequence polypeptide. In aspects of the invention variants retain the immunogenic activity of the corresponding native-sequence polypeptide.

Percent identity of two amino acid sequences, or of two nucleic acid sequences is defined as the percentage of amino acid residues or nucleotides in a candidate sequence that are identical with the amino acid residues in a polypeptide or nucleic acid sequence, after aligning the sequences and introducing gaps, if necessary, to achieve the maximum percent sequence identity, and not considering any conservative substitutions as part of the sequence identity. Alignment for purposes of determining percent amino acid or nucleic acid sequence identity can be achieved in various conventional ways, for instance, using publicly available computer software including the GIG program package (Devereux J. et al., Nucleic Acids Research 12(1): 387, 1984); BLASTP, BLASTN, and FASTA (Altschul, S. F. et al., J. Molec. Biol. 215: 403-410, 1990). The BLAST X program is publicly available from NCBI and other sources (BLAST Manual, Altschul, S. et al., NCBI NLM NIH Bethesda, Md. 20894; Altschul, S. et al., J. Mol. Biol. 215: 403-410, 1990). Skilled artisans can determine appropriate parameters for measuring alignment, including any algorithms needed to achieve maximal alignment over the full length of the sequences being compared. Methods to determine identity and similarity are codified in publicly-available computer programs.

An allelic variant may also be created by introducing substitutions, additions, or deletions into a polynucleotide encoding a native polypeptide sequence such that one or more amino acid substitutions, additions, or deletions are introduced into the encoded protein. Mutations may be introduced by standard methods, such as site-directed mutagenesis and PCR-mediated mutagenesis. In an embodiment, conservative substitutions are made at one or more predicted non-essential amino acid residues. A “conservative amino acid substitution” is one in which an amino acid residue is replaced with an amino acid residue with a similar side chain. Amino acids with similar side chains are known in the art and include amino acids with basic side chains (e.g., Lys, Arg, His), acidic side chains (e.g., Asp, Glu), uncharged polar side chains (e.g., Gly, Asp, Glu, Ser, Thr, Tyr, and Cys), non-polar side chains (e.g., Ala, Val, Leu, Iso, Pro, Trp), beta-branched side chains (e.g., Thr, Val, Iso), and aromatic side chains (e.g., Tyr, Phe, Trp, His). Mutations can also be introduced randomly along part or all of the native sequence, for example, by saturation mutagenesis. Following mutagenesis the variant polypeptide can be recombinantly expressed and the activity of the polypeptide may be determined.

Polypeptide variants include polypeptides comprising amino acid sequences sufficiently identical to or derived from the amino acid sequence of a native polypeptide which include fewer amino acids than the full length polypeptides. A portion of a polypeptide can be a polypeptide which is for example, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 or more amino acids in length. Portions in which regions of a polypeptide are deleted can be prepared by recombinant techniques and can be evaluated for one or more functional activities such as the ability to form antibodies specific for a polypeptide.

A naturally occurring allelic variant may contain conservative amino acid substitutions from the native polypeptide sequence or it may contain a substitution of an amino acid from a corresponding position in a polypeptide homolog, for example, a murine polypeptide.

An OPL or head-and-neck marker may be part of a chimeric or fusion protein. A “chimeric protein” or “fusion protein” includes all or part (preferably biologically active) of an OPL or head-and-neck marker operably linked to a heterologous polypeptide (i.e., a polypeptide other than a head-and-neck marker). Within the fusion protein, the term “operably linked” is intended to indicate that an OPL or head-and-neck marker and the heterologous polypeptide are fused in-frame to each other. The heterologous polypeptide can be fused to the N-terminus or C-terminus of an OPL or head-and-neck marker. A useful fusion protein is a GST fusion protein in which an OPL or head-and-neck marker is fused to the C-terminus of GST sequences. Another example of a fusion protein is an immunoglobulin fusion protein in which all or part of an OPL or head-and-neck marker is fused to sequences derived from a member of the immunoglobulin protein family. Chimeric and fusion proteins can be produced by standard recombinant DNA techniques.

A modified form of a polypeptide referenced herein includes modified forms of the polypeptides and derivatives of the polypeptides, including post-translationally modified forms such as glycosylated, phosphorylated, acetylated, methylated or lapidated forms of the polypeptides. For example, an N-terminal methionine may be cleaved from a polypeptide, and a new N-terminal residue may or may not be acetylated. In particular, for chaperonin 10 the first residue, methionine, can be cleaved and the second first residue, alanine can be N-acetylated.

Oral premalignant lesions (OPL) or head-and-neck cancer markers may be prepared by recombinant or synthetic methods, or isolated from a variety of sources, or by any combination of these and similar techniques.

“Oral premalignant lesions (OPL) or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide marker(s)”, “polynucleotides encoding the marker(s)”, and “polynucleotides encoding oral premalignant lesions (OPL) or head-and-neck cancer markers” refer to polynucleotides that encode OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers including native-sequence polypeptides, polypeptide variants including a portion of a polypeptide, an isoform, precursor, complex, a chimeric polypeptide, or modified forms and derivatives of the polypeptides. An OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide marker includes or consists of one or more of the polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides listed in Table 5.

In an aspect, a polynucleotide of the invention encodes YWHAZ (SEQ ID NO:24), for example a polynucleotide sequence referenced in NCBI Gene ID. NM_(—)003406, NP_(—)003397.1, NM_(—)145690.1, or NP_(—)663723.1, more particularly GenBank Accession Nos. gi|21735625; gi|119612231; gi|85567424; gi|4507953; gi|83754473; gi|68085578; gi|119612234; gi|30354619; gi|14278218; gi|119612230; gi|68085278; gi|14278221; gi|6137540; gi|14278219; gi|68085909; gi|6137543; gi|83754467; gi|68085317; gi|83754468; gi|80477445; gi|49119653; gi|119612233; gi|14278220; gi|189953; gi|6137539; gi|68084347; gi|899459; gi|6137544; gi|75517642; gi|71533983; gi|119612232; gi|52000887; gi|119612235; gi|83754474 (and see, for example, SEQ ID NOs. NM_(—)003406 in Appendix 1), or a fragment thereof.

In an aspect, a polynucleotide of the invention encodes stratifin (SEQ ID NO: 23), for example a polynucleotide sequence referenced in NCBI Gene ID. NM_(—)006142.3 or NP_(—)006133.1, more particularly GenBank Accession Nos. gi|398953; gi|2702355; gi|7981260; gi|49456765; gi|12653125; gi|187302; gi|12654345; gi|62738853; gi|16306737; gi|23940; gi|62738854; gi|5454052; gi|23270783; gi|61680850; gi|61680851; gi|2702353; gi|49456807; gi|119628191; gi|12804273 (and see, for example, SEQ ID NOs. NM_(—)006142.3 in Appendix 1), or fragment thereof.

In an aspect, a polynucleotide of the invention encodes S100 A7 (SEQ ID NO: 13), for example a polynucleotide sequence referenced in NCBI Gene ID. NM_(—)002963.3 or NP_(—)002954.2, more particularly GenBank Accession Nos. gi|4389153; gi|400892; gi|4389154; gi|49457324; gi|190668; gi|11228051; gi|12053626; gi|5542542; gi|5542543; gi|21961601; gi|119573712; gi|157835758, (and see, for example, SEQ ID NOs. NM_(—)002963.3 in Appendix 1) or a fragment thereof.

In an aspect, a polynucleotide of the invention encodes hnRNPK (SEQ ID NO: 25), for example a polynucleotide sequence referenced in NCBI Gene ID: gi|48429103, NP_(—)002131.2, P61978.1, more particularly GenBank Accession Nos. 574678.1, NP_(—)112552.1, AAB20770.1, NP_(—)112553.1, X72727.1, IJ5K_A, CAA51267.1, 1KHM_A, AB209562.1, 1ZZI_A, BAD92799.1, 1ZZI_B, BC000355.2, 1ZZJ_A, AAH00355.1, 1ZZJ_B, BC014980.1, 1ZZJ_C, AAH14980.1, 1ZZK_A, and see, for example, SEQ ID NOs. P61978.1 in Appendix 1.

Oral premalignant lesion (OPL) or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers include complementary nucleic acid sequences, and nucleic acids that are substantially identical to these sequences (e.g., having at least about 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 97%, 98%, or 99% sequence identity).

Oral premalignant lesion (OPL) or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers also include sequences that differ from a native sequence due to degeneracy in the genetic code. As one example, DNA sequence polymorphisms within the nucleotide sequence of an OPL or head-and-neck marker may result in silent mutations that do not affect the amino acid sequence. Variations in one or more nucleotides may exist among individuals within a population due to natural allelic variation. DNA sequence polymorphisms may also occur which lead to changes in the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide.

Oral premalignant lesion (OPL) or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers also include nucleic acids that hybridize under stringent conditions, preferably high stringency conditions to an OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide marker, in particular an OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide marker. Appropriate stringency conditions which promote DNA hybridization are known to those skilled in the art, or can be found in Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, John Wiley & Sons, N.Y. (1989), 6.3.1-6.3.6. For example, 6.0×sodium chloride/sodium citrate (SSC) at about 45° C., followed by a wash of 2.0×SSC at 50° C. may be employed. The stringency may be selected based on the conditions used in the wash step. By way of example, the salt concentration in the wash step can be selected from a high stringency of about 0.2×SSC at 50° C. In addition, the temperature in the wash step can be at high stringency conditions, at about 65° C.

Oral premalignant lesion (OPL) or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers also include truncated nucleic acids or nucleic acid fragments and variant forms of the nucleic acids that arise by alternative splicing of an mRNA corresponding to a DNA.

The OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers are intended to include DNA and RNA (e.g., mRNA) and can be either double stranded or single stranded. A polynucleotide may, but need not, include additional coding or non-coding sequences, or it may, but need not, be linked to other molecules and/or carrier or support materials. The polynucleotides for use in the methods of the invention may be of any length suitable for a particular method. In certain applications the term refers to antisense polynucleotides (e.g., mRNA or DNA strand in the reverse orientation to sense cancer polynucleotide markers).

“Statistically different levels”, “significantly altered levels”, or “significant difference” in levels of markers in a patient sample compared to a control or standard (e.g., normal levels or levels in other samples from a patient) may represent levels that are higher or lower than the standard error of the detection assay. In particular embodiments, the levels may be 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 times higher or lower than the control or standard.

“Microarray” and “array” refer to nucleic acid or nucleotide arrays or protein or peptide arrays that can be used to detect biomolecules associated with head and neck cell or tissue phase and head-and-neck disease, for instance to measure gene expression. A variety of arrays are made in research and manufacturing facilities worldwide, some of which are available commercially. By way of example, spotted arrays and in situ synthesized arrays are two kinds of nucleic acid arrays that differ in the manner in which the nucleic acid materials are placed onto the array substrate. A widely used in situ synthesized oligonucleotide array is GeneChip™ made by Affymetrix, Inc. Oligonucleotide probes that are 20- or 25-base long can be synthesized in silico on the array substrate. These arrays can achieve high densities (e.g., more than 40,000 genes per cm²). Generally spotted arrays have lower densities, but the probes, typically partial cDNA molecules, are much longer than 20- or 25-mers. Examples of spotted cDNA arrays include LifeArray made by Incyte Genomics and DermArray made by IntegriDerm (or Invitrogen). Pre-synthesized and amplified cDNA sequences are attached to the substrate of spotted arrays. Protein and peptide arrays also are known (see for example, Zhu et al., Science 293:2101 (2001).

“Binding agent” refers to a substance such as a polypeptide or antibody that specifically binds to one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers. A substance “specifically binds” to one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers if is reacts at a detectable level with one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and does not react detectably with peptides containing an unrelated or different sequence. Binding properties may be assessed using an ELISA, which may be readily performed by those skilled in the art (see, for example, Newton et al., Develop. Dynamics 197: 1-13, 1993).

A binding agent may be a ribosome, with or without a peptide component, an aptamer, an RNA molecule, or a polypeptide. A binding agent may be a polypeptide that includes one or more OPL or head-and-neck marker sequence, a peptide variant thereof, or a non-peptide mimetic of such a sequence. By way of example, a YWHAZ sequence may be a peptide portion of a YWHAZ that is capable of modulating a function mediated by YWHAZ.

An aptamer includes a DNA or RNA molecule that binds to nucleic acids and proteins. An aptamer that binds to a protein (or binding domain) of an OPL or head-and-neck marker or an OPL polynucleotide marker or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide marker can be produced using conventional techniques, without undue experimentation. (For example, see the following publications describing in vitro selection of aptamers: Klug et al., Mol. Biol. Reports 20:97-107 (1994); Wallis et al., Chem. Biol. 2:543-552 (1995); Ellington, Curr. Biol. 4:427-429 (1994); Lato et al., Chem. Biol. 2:291-303 (1995); Conrad et al., Mol. Div. 1:69-78 (1995); and Uphoff et al., Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol. 6:281-287 (1996)).

Antibodies for use in the present invention include but are not limited to monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies, immunologically active fragments (e.g., a Fab or (Fab)₂ fragments), antibody heavy chains, humanized antibodies, antibody light chains, genetically engineered single chain F_(v) molecules (Ladner et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,778), chimeric antibodies, for example, antibodies which contain the binding specificity of murine antibodies, but in which the remaining portions are of human origin, or derivatives, such as enzyme conjugates or labeled derivatives.

Antibodies, including monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, fragments and chimeras, may be prepared using methods known to those skilled in the art. Isolated native or recombinant OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers may be utilized to prepare antibodies. (See, for example, Kohler et al. (1975), Nature 256:495-497; Kozbor et al. (1985), J. Immunol Methods 81:31-42; Cote et al. (1983), Proc Natl Acad Sci 80:2026-2030; and Cole et al. (1984), Mol Cell Biol 62:109-120 for the preparation of monoclonal antibodies; Huse et al. (1989), Science 246:1275-1281 for the preparation of monoclonal Fab fragments; and, Pound (1998), Immunochemical Protocols, Humana Press, Totowa, N.J. for the preparation of phagemid or B-lymphocyte immunoglobulin libraries to identify antibodies). Antibodies specific for an OPL or head-and-neck marker may also be obtained from scientific or commercial sources.

In an embodiment of the invention, antibodies are reactive against an OPL or head-and-neck marker if they bind with a K_(a) of greater than or equal to 10⁻⁷ M.

Markers.

The invention provides a set of markers correlated with head-and-neck disease. In an aspect, the invention provides a set of markers identified as useful for detection, diagnosis, prevention and therapy of head-and-neck disease including or consisting of one or more of the markers listed in Table 5. In another aspect, the invention provides the head-and-neck or OPL cancer markers in Table 2 and Table 7 for detection, diagnosis and prognosis of a head-and-neck disease. The invention also provides a method of using OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers listed in Table 5 or Table 2 or Table 7, to distinguish head-and-neck disease.

In an embodiment, the markers include or consist of 1, 2, 3, 4 or more other markers listed in Table 5, Table 2, and Table 7.

In embodiments of the invention, a marker is provided which is selected from the group consisting of the polypeptides set forth in Table 5 which polypeptides are up-regulated biomarkers in OPL or head-and-neck cancer and optionally at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 polypeptides set forth in Table 5 and/or 2 or polypeptides in Table 1 and Table 5 and/or 6 or polypeptides in Table 7 that are up-regulated biomarkers in OPL or head-and-neck cancer.

In embodiments of the invention, a marker is provided which is selected from the group consisting of at least one marker of Table 2 and at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 polypeptides set forth in Table 5.

In embodiments of the invention, a marker is provided which is selected from the group consisting of at least one marker of Table 7 and at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 polypeptides set forth in Table 5.

The invention provides marker sets that distinguish head-and-neck disease and uses therefor. In an aspect, the invention provides a method for classifying a head-and-neck disease including detecting a difference in the expression of a first plurality of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers relative to a control, the first plurality of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers including or consisting of at least 2, 3, 4, or 5 of the markers listed in Table 5. In specific aspects, the plurality of markers consists of the markers listed in Table 2 and optionally at least 5 to 10 of the markers listed in Table 5. In specific aspects, the plurality of markers consists of the markers listed in Table 7 and optionally at least 5 to 10 of the markers listed in Table 5. In specific aspects, a control includes markers derived from a pool of samples from individual patients with no head-and-neck disease.

Any of the markers provided herein may be used alone or with other markers of head-and-neck disease, or with markers for other phenotypes or conditions. Additionally, all of the sequences provided herein are representative only; there may be other sequences for particular protein or coding sequences or related sequences. The invention is not intended to be limited to the sequences herein provided.

Detection Methods.

A variety of methods can be employed for the diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of head-and-neck disease or head-and-neck status involving one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers and polynucleotides encoding the markers, and the identification of subjects with a predisposition to head-and-neck diseases or that are receptive to in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer procedures. Such methods may, for example, utilize head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers, and fragments thereof, and binding agents (e.g., antibodies) against one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, including peptide fragments. In particular, the polynucleotides and antibodies may be used, for example, for (1) the detection of the presence of OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide marker mutations, or the detection of either over- or under-expression of OPL or head-and-neck marker mRNA relative to a non-disorder state or different head and neck cell or tissue phase, or the qualitative or quantitative detection of alternatively spliced forms of OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide marker transcripts which may correlate with certain conditions or susceptibility toward such conditions; and (2) the detection of either an over- or an under-abundance of one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers relative to a non-disorder state or a different head and neck cell or tissue phase or the presence of a modified (e.g., less than full length) OPL or head-and-neck marker which correlates with a disorder state or a progression toward a disorder state.

The invention contemplates a method for detecting the phase of a head-and-neck tissue, in particular a secretory head-and-neck tissue, including producing a profile of levels of one or more OPL or head-and-neck marker associated with a known head and/or neck cell or tissue phase and/or polynucleotides encoding the markers, and optionally other markers associated with the phase in cells from a patient, and comparing the profile with a reference to identify a profile for the test cells indicative of the phase. In an aspect, the head-and-neck cancer markers include those of Table 5, preferably Table 2 or fragments thereof. In an aspect, the OPL markers include those of Table 5, preferably Table 7 or fragments thereof.

The invention also contemplates a method for detecting a head-and-neck disease, in particular an OPL or head-and-neck cancer, including producing a profile of levels of one or more head-and-neck marker associated with a head-and-neck disease and/or polynucleotides encoding the markers, and other markers associated with head-and-neck disease in cells from a patient, and comparing the profile with a reference to identify a profile for the test cells indicative of disease. In an aspect, the head-and-neck cancer markers are one or more of those listed in Table 5 or Table 2. In an aspect, the OPL markers are one or more of those listed in Table 5 or Table 7.

The methods described herein may be used to evaluate the probability of the presence of malignant or pre-malignant cells, for example, in a group of cells freshly removed from a host. Such methods can be used to detect tumors, quantify their growth, and help in the diagnosis and prognosis of head-and-neck disease. The methods can be used to detect the presence of cancer metastasis, as well as confirm the absence or removal of all tumor tissue following surgery, cancer chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy. They can further be used to monitor cancer chemotherapy and tumor reappearance.

The methods described herein can be adapted for diagnosing and monitoring head-and-neck tissue status or a head-and-neck disease by detecting one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or polynucleotides encoding the markers in biological samples from a subject. These applications require that the amount of markers or polynucleotides quantified in a sample from a subject being tested be compared to a predetermined standard or cut-off value. The standard may correspond to levels quantified for another sample or an earlier sample from the subject, or levels quantified for a control sample. Levels for control samples from healthy subjects, different head-and-neck tissue phases, or subjects with a head-and-neck disease may be established by prospective and/or retrospective statistical studies. Healthy subjects who have no clinically evident disease or abnormalities may be selected for statistical studies. Diagnosis may be made by a finding of statistically different levels of detected head-and-neck cancer markers associated with disease or polynucleotides encoding same, compared to a control sample or previous levels quantified for the same subject.

The methods described herein may also use multiple markers for a head-and-neck disease, in particular OPL and head-and-neck cancer. Therefore, the invention contemplates a method for analyzing a biological sample for the presence of one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers and polynucleotides encoding the markers, and other markers that are specific indicators of a head-and-neck disease. The methods described herein may be modified by including reagents to detect the additional markers, or polynucleotides for the markers.

Nucleic Acid Methods/Assays.

As noted herein a head-and-neck disease or phase may be detected based on the level of OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers in a sample. Techniques for detecting polynucleotides such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and hybridization assays are well known in the art.

Probes may be used in hybridization techniques to detect OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers. The technique generally involves contacting and incubating nucleic acids (e.g., recombinant DNA molecules, cloned genes) obtained from a sample from a patient or other cellular source with a probe under conditions favorable for the specific annealing of the probes to complementary sequences in the nucleic acids. After incubation, the non-annealed nucleic acids are removed, and the presence of nucleic acids that have hybridized to the probe if any are detected.

Nucleotide probes for use in the detection of nucleic acid sequences in samples may be constructed using conventional methods known in the art. Suitable probes may be based on nucleic acid sequences encoding at least 5 sequential amino acids from regions of an OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide marker, preferably they include 10-200, more particularly 10-30, 10-40, 20-50, 40-80, 50-150, 80-120 nucleotides in length.

The probes may include DNA or DNA mimics (e.g., derivatives and analogues) corresponding to a portion of an organism's genome, or complementary RNA or RNA mimics. Mimics are polymers including subunits capable of specific, Watson-Crick-like hybridization with DNA, or of specific hybridization with RNA. The nucleic acids can be modified at the base moiety, at the sugar moiety, or at the phosphate backbone.

DNA can be obtained using standard methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of genomic DNA or cloned sequences. (See, for example, in Innis et al., eds., 1990, PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and Applications, Academic Press Inc., San Diego, Calif.). Computer programs known in the art can be used to design primers with the required specificity and optimal amplification properties, such as Oligo version 5.0 (National Biosciences). Controlled robotic systems may be useful for isolating and amplifying nucleic acids.

A nucleotide probe may be labeled with a detectable substance such as a radioactive label that provides for an adequate signal and has sufficient half-life such as ³²P, ³H, ¹⁴C or the like. Other detectable substances that may be used include antigens that are recognized by a specific labeled antibody, fluorescent compounds, enzymes, antibodies specific for a labeled antigen, and luminescent compounds. An appropriate label may be selected having regard to the rate of hybridization and binding of the probe to the nucleotide to be detected and the amount of nucleotide available for hybridization. Labeled probes may be hybridized to nucleic acids on solid supports such as nitrocellulose filters or nylon membranes as generally described in Sambrook et al., 1989, Molecular Cloning, A Laboratory Manual (2nd ed.). The nucleic acid probes may be used to detect head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers, preferably in human cells. The nucleotide probes may also be useful in the diagnosis of a head-and-neck disease involving one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers, in monitoring the progression of such disorder, or monitoring a therapeutic treatment.

The detection of OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers may involve the amplification of specific gene sequences using an amplification method such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), followed by the analysis of the amplified molecules using techniques known to those skilled in the art. Suitable primers can be routinely designed by one of skill in the art.

By way of example, at least two oligonucleotide primers may be employed in a PCR based assay to amplify a portion of a polynucleotide encoding one or more OPL or head-and-neck marker derived from a sample, wherein at least one of the oligonucleotide primers is specific for (i.e., hybridizes to) a polynucleotide encoding the OPL or head-and-neck marker. The amplified cDNA is then separated and detected using techniques well known in the art, such as gel electrophoresis.

In order to maximize hybridization under assay conditions, primers and probes employed in the methods of the invention generally have at least about 60%, preferably at least about 75%, and more preferably at least about 90% identity to a portion of a polynucleotide encoding an OPL or head-and-neck marker; that is, they are at least 10 nucleotides, and preferably at least 20 nucleotides in length. In an embodiment the primers and probes are at least about 10-40 nucleotides in length.

Hybridization and amplification techniques described herein may be used to assay qualitative and quantitative aspects of OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide marker expression. For example, RNA may be isolated from a cell type or tissue known to express a head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide marker and tested utilizing the hybridization (e.g., standard Northern analyses) or PCR techniques referred to herein.

The primers and probes may be used in the above-described methods in situ (i.e., directly on tissue sections (fixed and/or frozen) of patient tissue obtained from biopsies or resections).

In an aspect of the invention, a method is provided employing reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), in which PCR is applied in combination with reverse transcription. Generally, RNA is extracted from a sample tissue using standard techniques (e.g., guanidine isothiocyanate extraction as described by Chomcynski and Sacchi, Anal. Biochem. 162:156-159, 1987) and is reverse transcribed to produce cDNA. The cDNA is used as a template for a polymerase chain reaction. The cDNA is hybridized to a set of primers, at least one of which is specifically designed against a head-and-neck marker sequence. Once the primer and template have annealed a DNA polymerase is employed to extend from the primer, to synthesize a copy of the template. The DNA strands are denatured, and the procedure is repeated many times until sufficient DNA is generated to allow visualization by ethidium bromide staining and agarose gel electrophoresis.

Amplification may be performed on samples obtained from a subject with a suspected head-and-neck disease and an individual who is not afflicted with a head-and-neck disease. The reaction may be performed on several dilutions of cDNA spanning at least two orders of magnitude. A statistically significant difference in expression in several dilutions of the subject sample as compared to the same dilutions of the non-disease sample may be considered positive for the presence of a head-and-neck disease.

In an embodiment, the invention provides methods for determining the presence or absence of a head-and-neck disease in a subject including (a) contacting a sample obtained from the subject with oligonucleotides that hybridize to OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers; and (b) detecting in the sample a level of nucleic acids that hybridize to the polynucleotides relative to a predetermined cut-off value, and therefrom determining the presence or absence of a head-and-neck disease in the subject. In an aspect, the head-and-neck disease is OPL or cancer and the OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers are one or more of those listed in Table 5, or in another embodiment Table 2 or in another embodiment Table 7.

The invention provides a method wherein an OPL or head-and-neck marker mRNA is detected by (a) isolating mRNA from a sample and combining the mRNA with reagents to convert it to cDNA; (b) treating the converted cDNA with amplification reaction reagents and nucleic acid primers that hybridize to one or more OPL or head-and-neck marker polynucleotides, to produce amplification products; (d) analyzing the amplification products to detect amounts of mRNA encoding OPL or head-and-neck polynucleotide markers; and (e) comparing the amount of mRNA to an amount detected against a panel of expected values for normal and malignant tissue derived using similar nucleic acid primers.

Oral premalignant lesion (OPL) or head-and-neck cancer marker-positive samples or alternatively higher levels in patients compared to a control (e.g., non-cancerous tissue) may be indicative of late stage disease, and/or that the patient is not responsive to chemotherapy. Alternatively, negative samples or lower levels compared to a control (e.g., non-cancerous tissue or negative samples) may be indicative of progressive disease and shorter overall survival.

In another embodiment, the invention provides methods for determining the presence or absence of OPL or head-and-neck cancer in a subject including (a) contacting a sample obtained from the subject with oligonucleotides that hybridize to one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers; and (b) detecting in the sample levels of nucleic acids that hybridize to the polynucleotides relative to a predetermined cut-off value, and therefrom determining the presence or absence of OPL or head-and-neck cancer in the subject. In an embodiment, the OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers encode one or more polypeptides listed in Table 5.

In particular, the invention provides a method wherein YWHAZ, S100 A7, hnRNPK and/or stratifin mRNA is detected by (a) isolating mRNA from a sample and combining the mRNA with reagents to convert it to cDNA; (b) treating the converted cDNA with amplification reaction reagents and nucleic acid primers that hybridize to a polynucleotide encoding YWHAZ, S100 A7, hnRNPK, and/or stratifin, to produce amplification products; (d) analyzing the amplification products to detect an amount of mRNA encoding YWHAZ, S100 A7, hnRNPK, and/or stratifin; and (e) comparing the amount of mRNA to an amount detected against a panel of expected values for normal and malignant tissue derived using similar nucleic acid primers.

Oral premalignant lesion or head-and-neck cancer marker-positive samples or alternatively higher levels, in particular significantly higher levels of YWHAZ, S100 A7, hnRNPK and/or stratifin polynucleotides in patients compared to a control (e.g., normal or benign) are indicative of head-and-neck cancer. Negative samples or lower levels (e.g., of alpha-1-antitrypsin or KPSG lumican polynucleotides) compared to a control (e.g., normal or benign) may also be indicative of progressive disease and poor overall survival.

Oligonucleotides or longer fragments derived from an OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide marker may be used as targets in a microarray. The microarray can be used to simultaneously monitor the expression levels of large numbers of genes and to identify genetic variants, mutations, and polymorphisms. The information from the microarray may be used to determine gene function, to understand the genetic basis of a disorder, to diagnose a disorder, and to develop and monitor the activities of therapeutic agents.

The preparation, use, and analysis of microarrays are well known to a person skilled in the art. (See, for example, Brennan, T. M. et al. (1995), U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,796; Schena, et al. (1996), Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 93:10614-10619; Baldeschweiler et al. (1995), PCT Application WO 95/251116; Shalon, D. et al. (1995), PCT application WO 95/35505; Heller, R. A. et al. (1997), Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 94:2150-2155; and Heller, M. J. et al. (1997), U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,662).

Thus, the invention also includes an array including one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers (in particular the markers listed in Table 5) and/or markers listed in Table 2 or Table 7 or other markers. The array can be used to assay expression of OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers in the array. The invention allows the quantification of expression of one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers.

Microarrays typically contain at separate sites nanomolar quantities of individual genes, cDNAs, or ESTs on a substrate (e.g., nitrocellulose or silicon plate), or photolithographically prepared glass substrate. The arrays are hybridized to cDNA probes using conventional techniques with gene-specific primer mixes. The target polynucleotides to be analyzed are isolated, amplified and labeled, typically with fluorescent labels, radiolabels or phosphorous label probes. After hybridization is completed, the array is inserted into the scanner, where patterns of hybridization are detected. Data are collected as light emitted from the labels incorporated into the target, which becomes bound to the probe array. Probes that completely match the target generally produce stronger signals than those that have mismatches. The sequence and position of each probe on the array are known, and thus by complementarity, the identity of the target nucleic acid applied to the probe array can be determined.

Microarrays are prepared by selecting polynucleotide probes and immobilizing them to a solid support or surface. The probes may include DNA sequences, RNA sequences, copolymer sequences of DNA and RNA, DNA and/or RNA analogues, or combinations thereof. The probe sequences may be full or partial fragments of genomic DNA, or they may be synthetic oligonucleotide sequences synthesized either enzymatically in vivo, enzymatically in vitro (e.g., by PCR), or non-enzymatically in vitro.

The probe or probes used in the methods of the invention can be immobilized to a solid support or surface which may be either porous or non-porous. For example, the probes can be attached to a nitrocellulose or nylon membrane or filter covalently at either the 3′ or the 5′ end of the polynucleotide probe. The solid support may be a glass or plastic surface. In an aspect of the invention, hybridization levels are measured to microarrays of probes consisting of a solid support on the surface of which are immobilized a population of polynucleotides, such as a population of DNA or DNA mimics, or, alternatively, a population of RNA or RNA mimics. A solid support may be a nonporous or, optionally, a porous material such as a gel.

In accordance with embodiments of the invention, a microarray is provided including a support or surface with an ordered array of hybridization sites or “probes” each representing one of the markers described herein. The microarrays can be addressable arrays, and in particular positionally addressable arrays. Each probe of the array is typically located at a known, predetermined position on the solid support such that the identity of each probe can be determined from its position in the array. In preferred embodiments, each probe is covalently attached to the solid support at a single site.

Microarrays used in the present invention are preferably (a) reproducible, allowing multiple copies of a given array to be produced and easily compared with each other; (b) made from materials that are stable under hybridization conditions; (c) small (e.g., between 1 cm² and 25 cm², between 12 cm² and 13 cm², or 3 cm²); and (d) include a unique set of binding sites that will specifically hybridize to the product of a single gene in a cell (e.g., to a specific mRNA, or to a specific cDNA derived therefrom). However, it will be appreciated that larger arrays may be used particularly in screening arrays, and other related or similar sequences will cross hybridize to a given binding site.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the microarray is an array in which each position represents one of the markers described herein (e.g., the markers listed in Table 1 and optionally Table 2 and Table 7). Each position of the array can include a DNA or DNA analogue based on genomic DNA to which a particular RNA or cDNA transcribed from a genetic marker can specifically hybridize. A DNA or DNA analogue can be a synthetic oligomer or a gene fragment. In an embodiment, probes representing each of the OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers and OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers is present on the array. In a preferred embodiment, the array includes at least 5 of the OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers.

Probes for the microarray can be synthesized using N-phosphonate or phosphoramidite chemistries (Froehler et al., 1986, Nucleic Acid Res. 14:5399-5407; McBride et al., 1983, Tetrahedron Lett. 24:246-248). Synthetic sequences are typically between about 10 and about 500 bases, 20-100 bases, or 40-70 bases in length. Synthetic nucleic acid probes can include non-natural bases, such as, without limitation, inosine. Nucleic acid analogues such as peptide nucleic acid may be used as binding sites for hybridization (see, e.g., Egholm et al., 1993, Nature 363:566-568; U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,083).

Probes can be selected using an algorithm that takes into account binding energies, base composition, sequence complexity, cross-hybridization binding energies, and secondary structure (see Friend et al., International Patent Publication WO 01/05935, published Jan. 25, 2001).

Positive control probes (e.g., probes known to be complementary and hybridize to sequences in the target polynucleotides) and negative control probes (e.g., probes known to not be complementary and hybridize to sequences in the target polynucleotides) are typically included on the array. Positive controls can be synthesized along the perimeter of the array or synthesized in diagonal stripes across the array. A reverse complement for each probe can be next to the position of the probe to serve as a negative control.

The probes can be attached to a solid support or surface, which may be made from glass, plastic (e.g., polypropylene, nylon), polyacrylamide, nitrocellulose, gel, or other porous or nonporous material. The probes can be printed on surfaces such as glass plates (see Schena et al., 1995, Science 270:467-470). This method may be particularly useful for preparing microarrays of cDNA. (See, also, DeRisi et al., 1996, Nature Genetics 14:457-460; Shalon et al., 1996, Genome Res. 6:639-645; and Schena et al., 1995, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 93:10539-11286).

High-density oligonucleotide arrays containing thousands of oligonucleotides complementary to defined sequences, at defined locations on a surface can be produced using photolithographic techniques for synthesis in situ (see Fodor et al., 1991, Science 251:767-773; Pease et al., 1994, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 91:5022-5026; Lockhart et al., 1996, Nature Biotechnology 14:1675; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,578,832; 5,556,752; and 5,510,270) or other methods for rapid synthesis and deposition of defined oligonucleotides (Blanchard et al., Biosensors & Bioelectronics 11:687-690). Using these methods oligonucleotides (e.g., 60-mers) of known sequence are synthesized directly on a surface such as a derivatized glass slide. The array produced may be redundant, with several oligonucleotide molecules per RNA.

Microarrays can be made by other methods including masking (Maskos and Southern, 1992, Nuc. Acids. Res. 20:1679-1684). In an embodiment, microarrays of the present invention are produced by synthesizing polynucleotide probes on a support wherein the nucleotide probes are attached to the support covalently at either the 3′ or the 5′ end of the polynucleotide.

The invention provides microarrays including a disclosed marker set. In one embodiment, the invention provides a microarray for distinguishing head-and-neck disease samples including a positionally-addressable array of polynucleotide probes bound to a support, the polynucleotide probes including a plurality of polynucleotide probes of different nucleotide sequences, each of the different nucleotide sequences including a sequence complementary and hybridizable to a plurality of genes, the plurality consisting of at least 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 of the genes corresponding to the markers listed in Table 5 and optionally at least 2 to 18, 5 to 16, 10 to 15, 13-21, 2-21, 2-32, 22-32 or 13-32 of the genes corresponding to the markers listed in Table 2. An aspect of the invention provides microarrays including at least 4, 5, or 6 of the polynucleotides encoding the markers listed in Table 5.

The invention provides gene marker sets that distinguish head-and-neck disease and uses therefor. In an aspect, the invention provides a method for classifying a head-and-neck disease including detecting a difference in the expression of a first plurality of genes relative to a control, the first plurality of genes consisting of at least 3, 4, 5, or 6 of the genes encoding the markers listed in Table 5. In specific aspects, the plurality of genes consists of at least 4 or 5 of the genes encoding the markers listed in Table 5 and optionally at least 2 to 18, 5 to 16, 10 to 15-21, 2-21, 2-32, 22-32, or 13-32 of the genes corresponding to the markers listed in Table 5. In another specific aspect, the control includes nucleic acids derived from a pool of samples from individual control patients.

The invention provides a method for classifying a head-and-neck disease by calculating the similarity between the expression of at least 3, 4, 5, or 6 polynucleotides encoding markers listed in Table 5 in a sample to the expression of the same markers in a control pool, including the steps of:

-   -   (a) labeling nucleic acids derived from a sample, with a first         fluorophore to obtain a first pool of fluorophore-labeled         nucleic acids;     -   (b) labeling with a second fluorophore a first pool of nucleic         acids derived from two or more head-and-neck disease samples,         and a second pool of nucleic acids derived from two or more         control samples;     -   (c) contacting the first fluorophore-labeled nucleic acid and         the first pool of second fluorophore-labeled nucleic acid with a         first microarray under conditions such that hybridization can         occur, and contacting the first fluorophore-labeled nucleic acid         and the second pool of second fluorophore-labeled nucleic acid         with a second microarray under conditions such that         hybridization can occur, detecting at each of a plurality of         discrete loci on the first microarray a first fluorescent         emission signal from the first fluorophore-labeled nucleic acid         and a second fluorescent emission signal from the first pool of         second fluorophore-labeled genetic matter that is bound to the         first microarray and detecting at each of the marker loci on the         second microarray the first fluorescent emission signal from the         first fluorophore-labeled nucleic acid and a third fluorescent         emission signal from the second pool of second         fluorophore-labeled nucleic acid;     -   (d) determining the similarity of the sample to patient and         control pools by comparing the first fluorescence emission         signals and the second fluorescence emission signals, and the         first emission signals and the third fluorescence emission         signals; and     -   (e) classifying the sample as head-and-neck disease where the         first fluorescence emission signals are more similar to the         second fluorescence emission signals than to the third         fluorescent emission signals, and classifying the sample as         non-head-and-neck disease where the first fluorescence emission         signals are more similar to the third fluorescence emission         signals than to the second fluorescent emission signals, wherein         the first microarray and the second microarray are similar to         each other, exact replicas of each other, or are identical, and         wherein the similarity is defined by a statistical method such         that the cell sample and control are similar where the p value         of the similarity is less than 0.01.

In aspects of the invention, the array can be used to monitor the time course of expression of one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers in the array. This can occur in various biological contexts such as tumor progression.

The array is also useful for ascertaining differential expression patterns of OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers, and optionally other markers, in normal and abnormal cells. This may provide a battery of nucleic acids that could serve as molecular targets for diagnosis or therapeutic intervention.

Protein Methods.

Binding agents may be used for a variety of diagnostic and assay applications. There are a variety of assay formats known to the skilled artisan for using a binding agent to detect a target molecule in a sample. (For example, see Harlow and Lane, Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1988). In general, the presence or absence of a head-and-neck disease (e.g., cancer) in a subject may be determined by (a) contacting a sample from the subject with a binding agent; (b) detecting in the sample a level of polypeptide that binds to the binding agent; and (c) comparing the level of polypeptide with a predetermined standard or cut-off value.

In particular embodiments of the invention, the binding agent is an antibody. Antibodies specifically reactive with one or more head-and-neck marker, or derivatives, such as enzyme conjugates or labeled derivatives, may be used to detect one or more head-and-neck marker in various samples (e.g., biological materials). They may be used as diagnostic or prognostic reagents and they may be used to detect abnormalities in the level of expression of one or more head-and-neck marker, or abnormalities in the structure, and/or temporal, tissue, cellular, or subcellular location of one or more head-and-neck marker. Antibodies may also be used to screen potentially therapeutic compounds in vitro to determine their effects on disorders (e.g., OPL or head-and-neck cancer) involving one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and other conditions. In vitro immunoassays may also be used to assess or monitor the efficacy of particular therapies.

In an aspect, the invention provides a method for monitoring or diagnosing a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer) in a subject by quantifying one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers in a biological sample from the subject including reacting the sample with antibodies specific for one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, which are directly or indirectly labeled with detectable substances and detecting the detectable substances. In a particular embodiment of the invention, OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers are quantified or measured.

In an aspect of the invention, a method for detecting a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer) is provided including:

-   -   (a) obtaining a sample suspected of containing one or more OPL         or head-and-neck cancer markers associated with a head-and-neck         disease;     -   (b) contacting said sample with antibodies that specifically         bind to the OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers under conditions         effective to bind the antibodies and form complexes;     -   (c) measuring the amount of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers         present in the sample by quantifying the amount of the         complexes; and     -   (d) comparing the amount of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers         present in the samples with the amount of OPL or head-and-neck         cancer markers in a control, wherein a change or significant         difference in the amount of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers         in the sample compared with the amount in the control is         indicative of a head-and-neck disease.

In an embodiment, the invention contemplates a method for monitoring the progression of a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer) in an individual, including:

-   -   (a) contacting antibodies which bind to one or more OPL or         head-and-neck cancer markers with a sample from the individual         so as to form complexes including the antibodies and one or more         OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers in the sample;     -   (b) determining or detecting the presence or amount of complex         formation in the sample;     -   (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) at a point later in time; and     -   (d) comparing the result of step (b) with the result of step         (c), wherein a difference in the amount of complex formation is         indicative of disease, disease stage, and/or progression of the         disease in said individual.

The amount of complexes may also be compared to a value representative of the amount of the complexes from an individual not at risk of, or afflicted with, a head-and-neck disease at different stages. A significant difference in complex formation may be indicative of advanced disease (e.g., advanced head-and-neck cancer, or an unfavourable prognosis).

In aspects of the invention for diagnosis and monitoring of OPL or head-and-neck cancer, the OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers are one or more of those upregulated in cancer samples as compared to normal samples in Table 1, those listed in Table 5, and/or YWHAZ, S100 A7, and/or stratifin, and/or hnRNPK.

In embodiments of the methods of the invention, YWHAZ, S100 A7, hnRNPK and/or stratifin is detected in samples and higher levels, in particular significantly higher levels compared to a control (normal or benign) is indicative of the prognosis of OPL or head-and-neck cancer patient outcome.

In aspects of the invention for characterizing head-and-neck disease the OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers include YWHAZ, S100 A7, hnRNPK and/or stratifin and fragments thereof.

Antibodies may be used in any known immunoassays that rely on the binding interaction between antigenic determinants of one or more head-and-neck marker and the antibodies. Immunoassay procedures for in vitro detection of antigens in fluid samples are also well known in the art. (See, for example, Paterson et al., Int. J. Can. 37:659 (1986) and Burchell et al., Int. J. Can. 34:763 (1984) for a general description of immunoassay procedures.) Qualitative and/or quantitative determinations of one or more head-and-neck marker in a sample may be accomplished by competitive or non-competitive immunoassay procedures in either a direct or indirect format. Detection of one or more head-and-neck marker using antibodies can be done utilizing immunoassays which are run in either the forward, reverse or simultaneous modes. Examples of immunoassays are radioimmunoassays (RIA), enzyme immunoassays (e.g., ELISA), munofluorescence, immunoprecipitation, latex agglutination, hemagglutination, histochemical tests, and sandwich (immunometric) assays. These terms are well understood by those skilled in the art. A person skilled in the art will know, or can readily discern, other immunoassay formats without undue experimentation.

According to an embodiment of the invention, an immunoassay for detecting one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers in a biological sample includes contacting binding agents that specifically bind to OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers in the sample under conditions that allow the formation of first complexes including a binding agent and OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers and determining the presence or amount of the complexes as a measure of the amount of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers contained in the sample. In a particular embodiment, the binding agents are labeled differently or are capable of binding to different labels.

Antibodies may be used to detect and quantify one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers in a sample in order to diagnose and treat pathological states. In particular, the antibodies may be used in immunohistochemical analyses, for example, at the cellular and sub-subcellular level, to detect one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, to localize them to particular head-and-neck cells and tissues (e.g., tumor cells and tissues), and to specific subcellular locations, and to quantify the level of expression.

Immunohistochemical methods for the detection of antigens in tissue samples are well known in the art. For example, immunohistochemical methods are described in Taylor, Arch. Pathol. Lab. Med. 102:112 (1978). Briefly, in the context of the present invention, a tissue sample obtained from a subject suspected of having a head-and-neck-related problem is contacted with antibodies, preferably monoclonal antibodies recognizing one or more head-and-neck cancer markers. The site at which the antibodies are bound is determined by selective staining of the sample by standard immunohistochemical procedures. The same procedure may be repeated on the same sample using other antibodies that recognize one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers. Alternatively, a sample may be contacted with antibodies against one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers simultaneously, provided that the antibodies are labeled differently or are able to bind to a different label. The tissue sample may be normal head-and-neck tissue, an OPL, or a cancer tissue or a benign tissue.

An antibody microarray in which binding sites include immobilized, preferably monoclonal, antibodies specific to a substantial fraction of marker-derived OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers of interest can be utilized in the present invention. Antibody arrays can be prepared using methods known in the art (see, for example, Zhu et al., Science 293:2101 (2001) and reference 20).

Antibodies specific for one or more OPL or head-and-neck marker may be labelled with a detectable substance and localised in biological samples based upon the presence of the detectable substance. Examples of detectable substances include, but are not limited to, the following: radioisotopes (e.g., ³H, ¹⁴C, ³⁵s, ¹²⁵I, ¹³¹I), fluorescent labels (e.g., FITC, rhodamine, lanthanide phosphors), luminescent labels such as luminol; enzymatic labels (e.g., horseradish peroxidase, beta-galactosidase, luciferase, alkaline phosphatase, acetylcholinesterase), biotinyl groups (which can be detected by marked avidin (e.g., streptavidin containing a fluorescent marker or enzymatic activity that can be detected by optical or colorimetric methods)), predetermined polypeptide epitopes recognized by a secondary reporter (e.g., leucine zipper pair sequences, binding sites for secondary antibodies, metal binding domains, epitope tags). In some embodiments, labels are attached via spacer arms of various lengths to reduce potential steric hindrance. Antibodies may also be coupled to electron dense substances, such as ferritin or colloidal gold, which are readily visualised by electron microscopy.

One of the ways an antibody can be detectably labeled is to link it directly to an enzyme. The enzyme when later exposed to its substrate will produce a product that can be detected. Examples of detectable substances that are enzymes are horseradish peroxidase, beta-galactosidase, luciferase, alkaline phosphatase, acetylcholinesterase, malate dehydrogenase, ribonuclease, urease, catalase, glucose-6-phosphate, staphylococcal nuclease, delta-5-steriod isomerase, yeast alcohol dehydrogenase, alpha-glycerophosphate, triose phosphate isomerase, asparaginase, glucose oxidase, and acetylcholine esterase.

For increased sensitivity in an immunoassay system a fluorescence-emitting metal atom such as Eu (europium) and other lanthanides can be used. These can be attached to the desired molecule by means of metal-chelating groups such as DTPA or EDTA.

A bioluminescent compound may also be used as a detectable substance. Bioluminescence is a type of chemiluminescence found in biological systems where a catalytic protein increases the efficiency of the chemiluminescent reaction. The presence of a bioluminescent molecule is determined by detecting the presence of luminescence. Examples of bioluminescent detectable substances are luciferin, luciferase and aequorin.

Indirect methods may also be employed in which the primary antigen-antibody reaction is amplified by the introduction of a second antibody, having specificity for the antibody reactive against one or more head-and-neck cancer markers. By way of example, if the antibody having specificity against one or more OPL or head-and-neck marker is a rabbit IgG antibody, the second antibody may be goat anti-rabbit gamma-globulin labelled with a detectable substance as described herein.

Methods for conjugating or labelling the antibodies discussed above may be readily accomplished by one of ordinary skill in the art. (See, for example, Inman, Methods In Enzymology, Vol. 34, Affinity Techniques, Enzyme Purification: Part B, Jakoby and Wichek (eds.), Academic Press, New York, p. 30, 1974; and Wilchek and Bayer, “The Avidin-Biotin Complex in Bioanalytical Applications”, Anal. Biochem. 171:1-32, 1988 re methods for conjugating or labelling the antibodies with enzyme or ligand binding partner.)

Cytochemical techniques known in the art for localizing antigens using light and electron microscopy may be used to detect one or more head-and-neck cancer markers. Generally, antibodies may be labeled with detectable substances and one or more head-and-neck cancer markers may be localised in tissues and cells based upon the presence of the detectable substances.

In the context of the methods of the invention, the sample, binding agents (e.g., antibodies specific for one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers), or one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers may be immobilized on a carrier or support. Examples of suitable carriers or supports are agarose, cellulose, nitrocellulose, dextran, Sephadex, Sepharose, liposomes, carboxymethyl cellulose, polyacrylamides, polystyrene, gabbros, filter paper, magnetite, ion-exchange resin, plastic film, plastic tube, glass, polyamine-methyl vinyl-ether-maleic acid copolymer, amino acid copolymer, ethylene-maleic acid copolymer, nylon, silk, etc. The support material may have any possible configuration including spherical (e.g., bead), cylindrical (e.g., inside surface of a test tube or well, or the external surface of a rod), or flat (e.g., sheet, test strip). Thus, the carrier may be in the shape of, for example, a tube, test plate, well, beads, disc, sphere, etc. The immobilized antibody may be prepared by reacting the material with a suitable insoluble carrier using known chemical or physical methods, for example, cyanogen bromide coupling. An antibody may be indirectly immobilized using a second antibody specific for the antibody. For example, mouse antibody specific for a head-and-neck marker may be immobilized using sheep anti-mouse IgG Fc fragment specific antibody coated on the carrier or support.

Where a radioactive label is used as a detectable substance, one or more OPL or head-and-neck marker may be localized by radioautography. The results of radioautography may be quantified by determining the density of particles in the radioautographs by various optical methods, or by counting the grains.

Time-resolved fluorometry may be used to detect a signal. For example, the method described by Christopoulos T K and Diamandis E P in Anal Chem 1992:64:342-346 may be used with a conventional time-resolved fluorometer.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a method is provided wherein one or more OPL or head-and-neck marker antibodies are directly or indirectly labelled with enzymes, substrates for the enzymes are added wherein the substrates are selected so that the substrates, or a reaction product of an enzyme and substrate, form fluorescent complexes with a lanthanide metal (e.g., europium, terbium, samarium, and dysprosium, preferably europium and terbium). A lanthanide metal is added and one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers are quantified in the sample by measuring fluorescence of the fluorescent complexes. Enzymes are selected based on the ability of a substrate of the enzyme, or a reaction product of the enzyme and substrate, to complex with lanthanide metals such as europium and terbium. Suitable enzymes and substrates that provide fluorescent complexes are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,3112,922 to Diamandis. Examples of suitable enzymes include alkaline phosphatase and β-galactosidase. Preferably, the enzyme is alkaline phosphatase.

Examples of enzymes and substrates for enzymes that provide such fluorescent complexes are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,922 to Diamandis. By way of example, when the antibody is directly or indirectly labelled with alkaline phosphatase the substrate employed in the method may be 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate, 5-fluorosalicyl phosphate, or diflunisal phosphate. The fluorescence intensity of the complexes is typically measured using a time-resolved fluorometer (e.g., a CyberFluor 615 Immunoanalyzer (Nordion International, Kanata, Ontario)).

One or more OPL or head-and-neck marker antibodies may also be indirectly labelled with an enzyme. For example, the antibodies may be conjugated to one partner of a ligand binding pair, and the enzyme may be coupled to the other partner of the ligand binding pair. Representative examples include avidin-biotin, and riboflavin-riboflavin binding protein. In an embodiment, the antibodies are biotinylated, and the enzyme is coupled to streptavidin. In another embodiment, an antibody specific for OPL or head-and-neck marker antibody is labeled with an enzyme.

In accordance with an embodiment, the present invention provides means for determining one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers in a sample by measuring one or more head-and-neck cancer markers by immunoassay. It will be evident to a skilled artisan that a variety of immunoassay methods can be used to measure one or more head-and-neck cancer markers. In general, an immunoassay method may be competitive or non-competitive. Competitive methods typically employ an immobilized or immobilizable antibody to one or more OPL or head-and-neck marker and a labeled form of one or more OPL or head-and-neck marker. Sample OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers and labeled OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers compete for binding to antibodies to OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers. After separation of the resulting labeled OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers that have become bound to antibodies (bound fraction) from that which has remained unbound (unbound fraction), the amount of the label in either bound or unbound fraction is measured and may be correlated with the amount of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers in the test sample in any conventional manner (e.g., by comparison to a standard curve).

In an aspect, a non-competitive method is used for the determination of one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, with the most common method being the “sandwich” method. In this assay, two antibodies to OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers are employed. One of the antibodies to OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers is directly or indirectly labeled (sometimes referred to as the “detection antibody”) and the other is immobilized or immobilizable (sometimes referred to as the “capture antibody”). The capture and detection antibodies can be contacted simultaneously or sequentially with the test sample. Sequential methods can be accomplished by incubating the capture antibody with the sample, and adding the detection antibody at a predetermined time thereafter (sometimes referred to as the “forward” method); or the detection antibody can be incubated with the sample first and then the capture antibody added (sometimes referred to as the “reverse” method). After the necessary incubation(s) have occurred, to complete the assay, the capture antibody is separated from the liquid test mixture, and the label is measured in at least a portion of the separated capture antibody phase or the remainder of the liquid test mixture. Generally, it is measured in the capture antibody phase since it includes OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers bound by (“sandwiched” between) the capture and detection antibodies. In an embodiment, the label may be measured without separating the capture antibodies and liquid test mixture.

In a typical two-site immunometric assay for OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, one or both of the capture and detection antibodies are polyclonal antibodies or one or both of the capture and detection antibodies are monoclonal antibodies (i.e. polyclonal/polyclonal, monoclonal/monoclonal, or monoclonal/polyclonal). The label used in the detection antibody can be selected from any of those known conventionally in the art. The label may be an enzyme or a chemiluminescent moiety, but it can also be a radioactive isotope, a fluorophor, a detectable ligand (e.g., detectable by a secondary binding by a labeled binding partner for the ligand), and the like. In a particular aspect, the antibody is labelled with an enzyme which is detected by adding a substrate that is selected so that a reaction product of the enzyme and substrate forms fluorescent complexes. The capture antibody may be selected so that it provides a means for being separated from the remainder of the test mixture. Accordingly, the capture antibody can be introduced to the assay in an already immobilized or insoluble form, or can be in an immobilizable form, that is, a form which enables immobilization to be accomplished subsequent to introduction of the capture antibody to the assay. An immobilized capture antibody may include an antibody covalently or non-covalently attached to a solid phase such as a magnetic particle, a latex particle, a microtiter plate well, a bead, a cuvette, or other reaction vessel. An example of an immobilizable capture antibody is antibody which has been chemically modified with a ligand moiety, e.g., a hapten, biotin, or the like, and which can be subsequently immobilized by contact with an immobilized form of a binding partner for the ligand, e.g., an antibody, avidin, or the like. In an embodiment, the capture antibody may be immobilized using a species specific antibody for the capture antibody that is bound to the solid phase.

The above-described immunoassay methods and formats are intended to be exemplary and are not limiting.

Computer Systems.

Analytic methods contemplated herein can be implemented by use of computer systems and methods described below and known in the art. Thus, the invention provides computer readable media including one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and/or polynucleotides encoding one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and optionally other markers (e.g., markers of OPL or head-and-neck cancer). “Computer readable media” refers to any medium that can be read and accessed directly by a computer, including but not limited to magnetic storage media, such as floppy discs, hard disc storage medium, and magnetic tape; optical storage media such as CD-ROM; electrical storage media such as RAM and ROM; and hybrids of these categories such as magnetic/optical storage media. Thus, the invention contemplates computer readable medium having recorded thereon markers identified for patients and controls.

“Recorded” refers to a process for storing information on computer readable medium. The skilled artisan can readily adopt any of the presently known methods for recording information on computer readable medium to generate manufactures including information on one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and optionally other markers.

A variety of data processor programs and formats can be used to store information on one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and/or polynucleotides encoding one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and other markers on computer readable medium. For example, the information can be represented in a word processing text file, formatted in commercially-available software such as WordPerfect and MicroSoft Word, or represented in the form of an ASCII file, stored in a database application, such as DB2, Sybase, Oracle, or the like. Any number of dataprocessor structuring formats (e.g., text file or database) may be adapted in order to obtain computer readable medium having recorded thereon the marker information.

By providing the marker information in computer readable form, one can routinely access the information for a variety of purposes. For example, one skilled in the art can use the information in computer readable form to compare marker information obtained during or following therapy with the information stored within the data storage means.

The invention provides a medium for holding instructions for performing a method for determining or whether a patient has a head-and-neck disease (e.g., head-and-neck cancer) or a pre-disposition to a head-and-neck disease (e.g., cancer), including determining the presence or absence of one or more head-and-neck cancer markers, and/or polynucleotides encoding one or more head-and-neck cancer markers, and optionally other markers, and based on the presence or absence of the one or more head-and-neck cancer markers, and/or polynucleotides encoding one or more head-and-neck cancer markers, and optionally other markers, determining uterine head-and-neck receptivity, head-and-neck disease (e.g., cancer) or a pre-disposition to a head-and-neck disease (e.g., cancer), and optionally recommending a procedure or treatment.

The invention also provides in an electronic system and/or in a network, a method for determining whether a subject has a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer) or a pre-disposition to a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer), including determining the presence or absence of one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and/or polynucleotides encoding one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and optionally other markers (e.g., OPL or cancer markers), and based on the presence or absence of the one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and/or polynucleotides encoding one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and optionally other markers, determining whether the subject has a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer) or a pre-disposition to a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer), and optionally recommending a procedure or treatment.

The invention further provides in a network, a method for determining whether a subject is receptive to in vitro fertilization, has a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer) or a pre-disposition to a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer) including: (a) receiving phenotypic information on the subject and information on one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and/or polynucleotides encoding one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and optionally other markers associated with samples from the subject; (b) acquiring information from the network corresponding to the one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and/or polynucleotides encoding one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and optionally other markers; and (c) based on the phenotypic information and information on the one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and/or polynucleotides encoding one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and optionally other markers, determining whether the subject is receptive to in vitro fertilization, has a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer) or a pre-disposition to a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer); and (d) optionally recommending a procedure or treatment.

The invention still further provides a system for identifying selected records that identify a diseased head-and-neck cell or tissue (e.g., premalignant cell or tissue and/or cancer cell or tissue) or an head and neck cell or tissue phase. A system of the invention generally includes a digital computer; a database server coupled to the computer; a database coupled to the database server having data stored therein, the data including records of data including one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and/or polynucleotides encoding one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and optionally other OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and a code mechanism for applying queries based upon a desired selection criteria to the data file in the database to produce reports of records which match the desired selection criteria.

In an aspect of the invention a method is provided for detecting OPL or head-and-neck cancer tissue or cells using a computer having a processor, memory, display, and input/output devices, the method including the steps of:

-   -   (a) creating records of one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer         markers, and/or polynucleotides encoding one or more OPL or         head-and-neck cancer markers, and optionally other markers of         OPL or cancer identified in a sample suspected of containing         head-and-neck precancer or cancer cells or tissue;     -   (b) providing a database including records of data including one         or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and/or         polynucleotides encoding one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer         markers, and optionally other markers of Premalignant lesions or         cancer; and     -   (c) using a code mechanism for applying queries based upon a         desired selection criteria to the data file in the database to         produce reports of records of step (a) which provide a match of         the desired selection criteria of the database of step (b) the         presence of a match being a positive indication that the markers         of step (a) have been isolated from cells or tissue that are         head-and-neck precancer or cancer cells or oral leukoplakia or         head-and-neck cancer tissue.

The invention contemplates a business method for determining whether a subject is receptive to in vitro fertilization, has a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer) or a pre-disposition to OPL or head-and-neck cancer including: (a) receiving phenotypic information on the subject and information on one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and/or polynucleotides encoding the markers, and optionally other markers, associated with samples from the subject; (b) acquiring information from a network corresponding to one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and/or polynucleotides encoding the markers, and optionally other markers; and (c) based on the phenotypic information, information on one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and/or polynucleotides encoding the markers, and optionally other markers, and acquired information, determining whether the subject is receptive to in vitro fertilization, has a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer) or a pre-disposition to a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer); and (d) optionally recommending a procedure or treatment.

In an aspect of the invention, the computer systems, components, and methods described herein are used to monitor disease or determine the stage of disease.

Imaging Methods.

Binding agents, particularly antibodies, specific for one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers may also be used in imaging methodologies in the management of a head-and-neck disease.

In an aspect, the invention provides a method for imaging oral leukoplakia with one or more OPL markers and tumors associated with one or more head-and-neck cancer markers.

The invention also contemplates imaging methods described herein using multiple markers for a head-and-neck disease. Preferably, each agent is labeled so that it can be distinguished during the imaging.

In an embodiment the method is an in vivo method and a subject or patient is administered one or more agents that carry an imaging label and that are capable of targeting or binding to one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers. The agent is allowed to incubate in vivo and bind to the OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers associated with head-and-neck cells or tissues of a particular phase or associated with diseased cells or tissues, (e.g., an OPL or a head-and-neck tumor). The presence of the label is localized to the head-and-neck cells or tissues, and the localized label is detected using imaging devices known to those skilled in the art.

The agent may be an antibody or chemical entity that recognizes the OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers. In an aspect of the invention the agent is a polyclonal antibody or monoclonal antibody, or fragments thereof, or constructs thereof including but not limited to, single chain antibodies, bifunctional antibodies, molecular recognition units, and peptides or entities that mimic peptides. The antibodies specific for the head-and-neck cancer markers used in the methods of the invention may be obtained from scientific or commercial sources, or isolated native OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or recombinant OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers may be utilized to prepare antibodies etc. as described herein.

An agent may be a peptide that mimics the epitope for an antibody specific for an OPL or head-and-neck marker and binds to the marker. The peptide may be produced on a commercial synthesizer using conventional solid phase chemistry. By way of example, a peptide may be prepared that includes either tyrosine, lysine, or phenylalanine to which N₂S₂ chelate is complexed (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,255). An anti-endocrine marker peptide conjugate is then combined with a radiolabel (e.g., sodium ^(99m)Tc pertechnetate or sodium ¹⁸⁸Re perrhenate) and it may be used to locate a head-and-neck marker producing cell or tissue (e.g., tumor).

The agent carries a label to image the OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers. The agent may be labelled for use in radionuclide imaging. In particular, the agent may be directly or indirectly labelled with a radioisotope. Examples of radioisotopes that may be used in the resent invention are the following: ²⁷⁷Ac, ²¹¹At, ¹²⁸Ba, ¹³¹Ba, ⁷Be, ²⁰⁴Bi, ²⁰⁵Bi, ²⁰⁶Bi, ⁷⁶Br, ⁷⁷Br, ⁸²Br, ¹⁰⁹Cd, ⁴⁷Ca, ¹¹C, ¹⁴C, ³⁶Cl, ⁴⁸Cr, ⁵¹Cr, ⁶²Cu, ⁶⁴Cu, ⁶⁷Cu, ¹⁶⁵Dy, ¹⁵⁵Eu, ¹⁸F, ¹⁵³Gd, ⁶⁶Ga, ⁶⁷Ga, ⁶⁸Ga, ⁷²Ga, ¹⁹⁸Au, ³H ¹⁶⁶Ho, ¹¹¹In, ^(113m)In, ^(115m)In, ¹²³I, ¹²⁵I, ¹³¹I, ¹⁸⁹Ir, ^(191m)Ir, ¹⁹²Ir, ¹⁹⁴Ir, ⁵²Fe, ⁵⁵Fe, ⁵⁹Fe, ¹⁷⁷Lu, ¹⁵O, ^(191m-191)Os, ¹⁰⁹Pd, ³²P, ³³P, ⁴²K, ²²⁶Ra, ¹⁸⁶Re, ¹⁸⁸Re, ^(82m)Rb, ¹⁵³Sm, ⁴⁶Sc, ⁴⁷Sc, ⁷²Se, ⁷⁵Se, ¹⁰⁵Ag, ²²Na, ²⁴Na, ⁸⁹Sr, ³⁵s, ³⁸s, ¹⁷⁷Ta, ⁹⁶Tc, ^(99m)Tc, ²⁰¹Tl, ²⁰²Tl, ¹¹³Sn, ^(117m)Sn, ¹²¹Sn, ¹⁶⁶Yb, ¹⁶⁹Yb, ¹⁷⁵Yb, ⁸⁸Y, ⁹⁰Y, ⁶²Zn and ⁶⁵Zn. Preferably the radioisotope is ¹³¹I, ¹²⁵I, ¹²³I, ¹¹¹I, ^(99m)Tc, ⁹⁰Y, ¹⁸⁶Re, ¹⁸⁸Re, ³²P, ¹⁵³Sm, ⁶⁷Ga, ²⁰¹Tl, ⁷⁷Br, or ¹⁸F, and is imaged with a photoscanning device.

Procedures for labeling biological agents with the radioactive isotopes are generally known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,438 describes tritium labeling procedures. Procedures for iodinating, tritium labeling, and ³⁵S labeling especially adapted for murine monoclonal antibodies are described by Goding, J. W. (supra, pp. 124-126) and the references cited therein. Other procedures for iodinating biological agents, such as antibodies, binding portions thereof, probes, or ligands, are described in the scientific literature (see Hunter and Greenwood, Nature 144:945 (1962); David et al., Biochemistry 13:1014-1021 (1974); and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,867,517 and 4,376,110). Iodinating procedures for agents are described by Greenwood, F. et al., Biochem. J. 89:114-123 (1963); Marchalonis, J., Biochem. J. 113:299-305 (1969); and Morrison, M. et al., Immunochemistry, 289-297 (1971). ^(99m) Tc-labeling procedures are described by Rhodes, B. et al. in Burchiel, S. et al. (eds.), Tumor Imaging: The Radioimmunochemical Detection of Cancer, New York: Masson 111-123 (1982) and the references cited therein. Labelling of antibodies or fragments with technetium-^(99m) are also described for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,317,091; 4,478,815; 4,478,818; 4,472,371; Re 32,417; and 4,311,688. Procedures suitable for ¹¹¹In-labeling biological agents are described by Hnatowich, D. J. et al., J. Immun. Methods, 65:147-157 (1983), Hnatowich, D. et al., J. Applied Radiation, 35:554-557 (1984), and Buckley, R. G. et al., F.E.B.S. 166:202-204 (1984).

An agent may also be labeled with a paramagnetic isotope for purposes of an in vivo method of the invention. Examples of elements that are useful in magnetic resonance imaging include gadolinium, terbium, tin, iron, or isotopes thereof (See, for example, Schaefer et al., (1989) JACC 14, 472-480; Shreve et al., (1986) Magn. Reson. Med. 3, 336-340; Wolf, G L., (1984) Physiol. Chem. Phys. Med. NMR 16, 93-95; Wesbey et al. (1984), Physiol. Chem. Phys. Med. NMR 16, 145-155; Runge et al. (1984), Invest. Radiol. 19, 408-415 for discussions on in vivo nuclear magnetic resonance imaging.)

In the case of a radiolabeled agent, the agent may be administered to the patient, it is localized to the cell or tissue (e.g., tumor) having a head-and-neck marker with which the agent binds, and is detected or “imaged” in vivo using known techniques such as radionuclear scanning using e.g., a gamma camera or emission tomography. (See, for example, A. R. Bradwell et al., “Developments in Antibody Imaging”, Monoclonal Antibodies for Cancer Detection and Therapy; R. W. Baldwin et al. (eds.), pp. 65-85 (Academic Press 1985).) A positron emission transaxial tomography scanner, such as designated Pet VI located at Brookhaven National Laboratory, can also be used where the radiolabel emits positrons (e.g., ¹¹C, ¹⁸F, ¹⁵O, and ¹³N).

Whole body imaging techniques using radioisotope labeled agents can be used for locating diseased cells and tissues (e.g., primary tumors and tumors which have metastasized). Antibodies specific for OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, or fragments thereof having the same epitope specificity, are bound to a suitable radioisotope, or a combination thereof, and administered parenterally. For OPL or head-and-neck cancer, administration preferably is intravenous. The bio-distribution of the label can be monitored by scintigraphy, and accumulations of the label are related to the presence of OPL or head-and-neck cancer cells. Whole body imaging techniques are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,036,945 and 4,311,688. Other examples of agents useful for diagnosis and therapeutic use that can be coupled to antibodies and antibody fragments include metallothionein and fragments (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,864). These agents are useful in diagnosis staging and visualization of cancer, in particular OPL or head-and-neck cancer, so that surgical and/or radiation treatment protocols can be used more efficiently.

An imaging agent may carry a bioluminescent or chemiluminescent label. Such labels include polypeptides known to be fluorescent, bioluminescent or chemiluminescent, or, that act as enzymes on a specific substrate (reagent), or can generate a fluorescent, bioluminescent or chemiluminescent molecule. Examples of bioluminescent or chemiluminescent labels include luciferases, aequorin, obelin, mnemiopsin, berovin, a phenanthridinium ester, and variations thereof and combinations thereof. A substrate for the bioluminescent or chemiluminescent polypeptide may also be utilized in a method of the invention. For example, the chemiluminescent polypeptide can be luciferase and the reagent luciferin. A substrate for a bioluminescent or chemiluminescent label can be administered before, at the same time (e.g., in the same formulation), or after administration of the agent.

An imaging agent may include a paramagnetic compound, such as a polypeptide chelated to a metal (e.g., a metalloporphyrin). The paramagnetic compound may also include a monocrystalline nanoparticle, e.g., a nanoparticle including a lanthanide (e.g., Gd) or iron oxide; or, a metal ion such as a lanthanide. As used herein, “lanthanide” refers to elements of atomic numbers 58 to 70, a transition metal of atomic numbers 21 to 29, 42 or 44, a Gd(III), a Mn(II), or an element including a Fe element. Paramagnetic compounds can also include a neodymium iron oxide (NdFeO₃) or a dysprosium iron oxide (DyFeO₃). Examples of elements that are useful in magnetic resonance imaging include gadolinium, terbium, tin, iron, or isotopes thereof (See, for example, Schaefer et al., (1989) JACC 14, 472-480; Shreve et al. (1986), Magn. Reson. Med. 3, 336-340; Wolf, G. L. (1984), Physiol. Chem. Phys. Med. NMR 16, 93-95; Wesbey et al. (1984), Physiol. Chem. Phys. Med. NMR 16, 145-155; Runge et al. (1984), Invest. Radiol. 19, 408-415 for discussions on in vivo nuclear magnetic resonance imaging.)

An image can be generated in a method of the invention by computer assisted tomography (CAT), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) image, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), or bioluminescence imaging (BLI) or equivalent.

Computer assisted tomography (CAT) and computerized axial tomography (CAT) systems and devices well known in the art can be utilized in the practice of the present invention. (See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,151,377; 5,946,371; 5,446,799; 5,406,479; 5,208,581; and 5,109, 97.) The invention may also utilize animal imaging modalities, such as MicroCAT™ (ImTek, Inc.).

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems and devices well known in the art can be utilized in the practice of the present invention. For a description of MRI methods and devices, see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,151,377; 6,144,202; 6,128,522; 6,127,825; 6,121,775; 6,119,032; 6,115,446; 6,111,410; 602,891; 5,555,251; 5,455,512; 5,450,010; 5,378,987; 5,214,382; 5,031,624; 5,207,222; 4,985,678; 4,906,931; and 4,558,279. MRI and supporting devices are commercially available, for example, from Bruker Medical GMBH; Caprius; Esaote Biomedica; Fonar; GE Medical Systems (GEMS); Hitachi Medical Systems America; Intermagnetics General Corporation; Lunar Corp.; MagneVu; Marconi Medicals; Philips Medical Systems; Shimadzu; Siemens; Toshiba America Medical Systems; including imaging systems, by, e.g., Silicon Graphics. The invention may also utilize animal imaging modalities such as micro-MRIs.

Positron emission tomography imaging (PET) systems and devices well known in the art can be utilized in the practice of the present invention. For example, a method of the invention may use the system designated Pet VI located at Brookhaven National Laboratory. For descriptions of PET systems and devices, see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,151,377; 6,072,177; 5,900,636; 5,608,221; 5,532,489; 5,272,343; and 5,103,098. Animal imaging modalities such as micro-PETs (Concorde Microsystems, Inc.) can also be used in the invention.

Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) systems and devices well known in the art can be utilized in the practice of the present invention. (See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,115,446; 6,072,177; 5,608,221; 5,600,145; 5,210,421; 5,103,098.) The methods of the invention may also utilize animal imaging modalities, such as micro-SPECTs.

Bioluminescence imaging includes bioluminescence, fluorescence, and chemiluminescence and other photon detection systems and devices that are capable of detecting bioluminescence, fluorescence, or chemiluminescence. Sensitive photon detection systems can be used to detect bioluminescent and fluorescent proteins externally; see, for example, Contag (2000), Neoplasia 2:41-52; adn Zhang (1994), Clin. Exp. Metastasis, 12:87-92. The methods of the invention can be practiced using any such photon detection device, or variation or equivalent thereof, or in conjunction with any known photon detection methodology, including visual imaging. By way of example, an intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD) camera coupled to an image processor may be used in the present invention. (See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,650,135.) Photon detection devices are also commercially available from Xenogen, Hamamatsue.

Screening Methods.

The invention also contemplates methods for evaluating test agents or compounds for their ability to inhibit a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer), potentially contribute to a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer). Test agents and compounds include but are not limited to peptides such as soluble peptides including Ig-tailed fusion peptides, members of random peptide libraries and combinatorial chemistry-derived molecular libraries made of D- and/or L-configuration amino acids, phosphopeptides (including members of random or partially degenerate, directed phosphopeptide libraries), antibodies (e.g., polyclonal, monoclonal, humanized, anti-idiotypic, chimeric, single chain antibodies, fragments (e.g., Fab, F(ab)₂, and Fab expression library fragments, and epitope-binding fragments thereof), and small organic or inorganic molecules. The agents or compounds may be endogenous physiological compounds or natural or synthetic compounds.

The invention provides a method for assessing the potential efficacy of a test agent for inhibiting a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer) in a patient, the method including comparing:

-   -   (a) levels of one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers,         and/or polynucleotides encoding OPL or head-and-neck cancer         markers, and optionally other markers in a first sample obtained         from a patient and exposed to the test agent; and     -   (b) levels of one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers         and/or polynucleotides encoding OPL or head-and-neck cancer         markers, and optionally other markers, in a second sample         obtained from the patient, wherein the sample is not exposed to         the test agent, wherein a significant difference in the levels         of expression of one or more head-and-neck cancer markers,         and/or polynucleotides encoding one or more OPL or head-and-neck         cancer markers, and optionally the other markers, in the first         sample, relative to the second sample, is an indication that the         test agent is potentially efficacious for inhibiting a         head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer) in the patient.

The first and second samples may be portions of a single sample obtained from a patient or portions of pooled samples obtained from a patient.

In an aspect, the invention provides a method of selecting an agent for inhibiting a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer) in a patient including:

-   -   (a) obtaining a sample from the patient;     -   (b) separately maintaining aliquots of the sample in the         presence of a plurality of test agents;     -   (c) comparing one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers,         and/or polynucleotides encoding OPL or head-and-neck cancer         markers, and optionally other markers, in each of the aliquots;         and     -   (d) selecting one of the test agents which alters the levels of         one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and/or         polynucleotides encoding OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers,         and optionally other markers in the aliquot containing that test         agent, relative to other test agents.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a method of selecting an agent for inhibiting or enhancing a OPL or head and neck cell or tissue phase in a patient including:

-   -   (a) obtaining a sample of OPL or head and neck cell or tissue in         a selected phase;     -   (b) separately maintaining aliquots of the sample in the         presence of a plurality of test agents;     -   (c) comparing one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers,         and/or polynucleotides encoding OPL or head-and-neck cancer         markers, and optionally other markers, in each of the aliquots;         and     -   (d) selecting one of the test agents which alters the levels of         one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and/or         polynucleotides encoding OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers,         and optionally other markers in the aliquot containing that test         agent, relative to other test agents.

Still another aspect of the present invention provides a method of conducting a drug discovery business including:

-   -   (a) providing one or more methods or assay systems for         identifying agents that inhibit a head-and-neck disease (e.g.,         OPL or head-and-neck cancer) or affect a OPL or head and neck         cell or tissues phase in a patient;     -   (b) conducting therapeutic profiling of agents identified in         step (a), or further analogs thereof, for efficacy and toxicity         in animals; and     -   (c) formulating a pharmaceutical preparation including one or         more agents identified in step (b) as having an acceptable         therapeutic profile.

In certain embodiments, the subject method can also include a step of establishing a distribution system for distributing the pharmaceutical preparation for sale, and may optionally include establishing a sales group for marketing the pharmaceutical preparation.

The invention also contemplates a method of assessing the potential of a test compound to contribute to a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or head-and-neck cancer) including:

-   -   (a) maintaining separate aliquots of cells or tissues from a         patient with a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer) in         the presence and absence of the test compound; and     -   (b) comparing one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers,         and/or polynucleotides encoding OPL or head-and-neck cancer         markers, and optionally other markers in each of the aliquots.

A significant difference between the levels of the markers in the aliquot maintained in the presence of (or exposed to) the test compound relative to the aliquot maintained in the absence of the test compound, indicates that the test compound possesses the potential to contribute to a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or head-and-neck cancer).

Kits.

The invention also contemplates kits for carrying out the methods of the invention. Kits may typically include two or more components required for performing a diagnostic assay. Components include but are not limited to compounds, reagents, containers, and/or equipment.

The methods described herein may be performed by utilizing pre-packaged diagnostic kits including one or more specific OPL or head-and-neck marker polynucleotide or antibody described herein, which may be conveniently used, e.g., in clinical settings to screen and diagnose patients and to screen and identify those individuals exhibiting a predisposition to developing a head-and-neck disease.

In an embodiment, a container with a kit includes a binding agent as described herein. By way of example, the kit may contain antibodies or antibody fragments which bind specifically to epitopes of one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers and optionally other markers, antibodies against the antibodies labelled with an enzyme; and a substrate for the enzyme. The kit may also contain microtiter plate wells, standards, assay diluent, wash buffer, adhesive plate covers, and/or instructions for carrying out a method of the invention using the kit.

In an aspect of the invention, the kit includes antibodies or fragments of antibodies which bind specifically to an epitope of one or more polypeptide listed in Table 1 that is upregulated in cancer samples as compared to normal samples, or those listed in Table 5 or Table 2 and means for detecting binding of the antibodies to their epitope associated with tumor cells, either as concentrates (including lyophilized compositions), which may be further diluted prior to use or at the concentration of use, where the vials may include one or more dosages. Where the kits are intended for in vivo use, single dosages may be provided in sterilized containers, having the desired amount and concentration of agents. Containers that provide a formulation for direct use, usually do not require other reagents, as for example, where the kit contains a radiolabelled antibody preparation for in vivo imaging.

In an aspect of the invention, the kit includes antibodies or fragments of antibodies which bind specifically to an epitope of one or more polypeptide listed in Table 6 that is upregulated in OPL samples as compared to normal samples, or those listed in Table 5 or Table 7 and means for detecting binding of the antibodies to their epitope associated with OPL cells, either as concentrates (including lyophilized compositions), which may be further diluted prior to use or at the concentration of use, where the vials may include one or more dosages. Where the kits are intended for in vivo use, single dosages may be provided in sterilized containers, having the desired amount and concentration of agents. Containers that provide a formulation for direct use, usually do not require other reagents, as for example, where the kit contains a radiolabelled antibody preparation for in vivo imaging.

A kit may be designed to detect the level of polynucleotides encoding one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers in a sample. In an embodiment, the polynucleotides encode one or more polynucleotides encoding a polypeptide listed in Table 6 that is upregulated in OPL samples as compared to normal samples, or those listed in Table 5 or Table 7 or the polynucleotides encode one or more polynucleotides encoding a polypeptide listed in Table 1 that is upregulated in cancer samples as compared to normal samples, or those listed in Table 5 or Table 2. Such kits generally include at least one oligonucleotide probe or primer, as described herein, that hybridizes to a polynucleotide encoding one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers. Such an oligonucleotide may be used, for example, within a PCR or hybridization procedure. Additional components that may be present within the kits include a second oligonucleotide and/or a diagnostic reagent or container to facilitate detection of a polynucleotide encoding one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers.

The invention provides a kit containing a microarray described herein ready for hybridization to target OPL or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers, plus software for the data analysis of the results. The software to be included with the kit includes data analysis methods, in particular mathematical routines for marker discovery, including the calculation of correlation coefficients between clinical categories and marker expression. The software may also include mathematical routines for calculating the correlation between sample marker expression and control marker expression, using array-generated fluorescence data, to determine the clinical classification of the sample.

The reagents suitable for applying the screening methods of the invention to evaluate compounds may be packaged into convenient kits described herein providing the necessary materials packaged into suitable containers.

The invention contemplates a kit for assessing the presence of head-and-neck cells, wherein the kit includes antibodies specific for one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, or primers or probes for polynucleotides encoding same, and optionally probes, primers or antibodies specific for other markers associated with a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer).

The invention relates to a kit for assessing the suitability of each of a plurality of test compounds for inhibiting a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or head-and-neck cancer) in a patient. The kit includes reagents for assessing one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or polynucleotides encoding same, and optionally a plurality of test agents or compounds.

Additionally the invention provides a kit for assessing the potential of a test compound to contribute to a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or cancer). The kit includes head-and-neck diseased cells (e.g., OPL or cancer cells) and reagents for assessing one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, polynucleotides encoding same, and optionally other markers associated with a head-and-neck disease.

Therapeutic Applications.

One or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers may be targets for immunotherapy. Immunotherapeutic methods include the use of antibody therapy, in vivo vaccines, and ex vivo immunotherapy approaches.

In one aspect, the invention provides one or more OPL or head-and-neck marker antibodies that may be used systemically to treat a head-and-neck disease associated with the marker. In particular, the head-and-neck disease is OPL or head-and-neck cancer and one or more head-and-neck marker antibodies may be used systemically to treat OPL or head-and-neck cancer. Preferably antibodies are used that target the tumor cells but not the surrounding non-tumor cells and tissue.

Thus, the invention provides a method of treating a patient susceptible to, or having a disease (e.g., OPL or cancer) that expresses one or more OPL or head-and-neck marker, in particular, a marker up-regulated in OPL or head-and-neck cancer (for example, an up-regulated marker in Table 6, or that of Table 5 and/or 7 or an up-regulated marker in Table 1, or that of Table 5 and/or 2), including administering to the patient an effective amount of an antibody that binds specifically to one or more OPL or head-and-neck marker.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method of inhibiting the growth of OPL or tumor cells expressing one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, including administering to a patient an antibody which binds specifically to one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers in an amount effective to inhibit growth of the tumor cells.

One or more OPL or head-and-neck marker antibodies may also be used in a method for selectively inhibiting the growth of, or killing a cell expressing one or more OPL marker (e.g., OPL cell expressing one or more OPL marker) or head-and-neck marker (e.g., tumor cell expressing one or more head-and-neck cancer marker) including reacting one or more head-and-neck marker antibody immunoconjugate or immunotoxin with the cell in an amount sufficient to inhibit the growth of, or kill the cell.

By way of example, unconjugated antibodies to OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers may be introduced into a patient such that the antibodies bind to OPL or head-and-neck cancer marker expressing cancer cells and mediate growth inhibition of such cells (including the destruction thereof), and the tumor, by mechanisms which may include complement-mediated cytolysis, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, altering the physiologic function of one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, and/or the inhibition of ligand binding or signal transduction pathways. In addition to unconjugated antibodies to OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer marker antibodies conjugated to therapeutic agents (e.g., immunoconjugates) may also be used therapeutically to deliver the agent directly to one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer marker expressing tumor cells and thereby destroy the tumor. Examples of such agents include abrin, ricin A, Pseudomonas exotoxin, or diphtheria toxin; proteins such as tumor necrosis factor, alpha-interferon, beta-interferon, nerve growth factor, platelet derived growth factor, tissue plasminogen activator; and biological response modifiers such as lymphokines, interleukin-1, interleukin-2, interleukin-6, granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor, granulocyte colony stimulating factor, or other growth factors.

Cancer immunotherapy using one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer marker antibodies may utilize the various approaches that have been successfully employed for cancers, including but not limited to colon cancer (Arlen et al., 1998, Crit Rev Immunol 18: 133-138), multiple myeloma (Ozaki et al., 1997, Blood 90: 3179-3186; Tsunenati et al., 1997, Blood 90: 2437-2444), gastric cancer (Kasprzyk et al., 1992, Cancer Res 52: 2771-2776), B-cell lymphoma (Funakoshi et al., 1996, J. Immunther Emphasis Tumor Immunol 19: 93-101), leukemia (Zhong et al., 1996, Leuk Res 20: 581-589), colorectal cancer (Moun et al., 1994, Cancer Res 54: 6160-6166); Velders et al., 1995, Cancer Res 55: 4398-4403), and breast cancer (Shepard et al., 1991, J. Clin Immunol 11: 117-127).

In the practice of a method of the invention, OPL or head-and-neck cancer marker antibodies capable of inhibiting the growth of precancer or cancer cells expressing OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers are administered in a therapeutically effective amount to OPL or cancer patients whose lesions or tumors express or overexpress one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers. The invention may provide a specific, effective and long-needed treatment for OPL or head-and-neck cancer. The antibody therapy methods of the invention may be combined with other therapies including chemotherapy and radiation.

Patients may be evaluated for the presence and level of expression or overexpression of one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers in diseased cells and tissues (e.g., OPLs or tumors), in particular using immunohistochemical assessments of tissue, quantitative imaging as described herein, or other techniques capable of reliably indicating the presence and degree of expression of one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers. Immunohistochemical analysis of OPL or tumor biopsies or surgical specimens may be employed for this purpose.

Head-and-neck marker antibodies useful in treating disease (e.g., OPL or cancer) include those that are capable of initiating a potent immune response against the disease (e.g., OPL or tumor) and those that are capable of direct cytotoxicity. In this regard, OPL or head-and-neck marker antibodies may elicit cell lysis by either complement-mediated or antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC) mechanisms, both of which require an intact Fc portion of the immunoglobulin molecule for interaction with effector cell Fc receptor sites or complement proteins.

Oral premalignant lesions or head-and-neck marker antibodies that exert a direct biological effect on tumor growth may also be useful in the practice of the invention. Such antibodies may not require the complete immunoglobulin to exert the effect. Potential mechanisms by which such directly cytotoxic antibodies may act include inhibition of cell growth, modulation of cellular differentiation, modulation of tumor angiogenesis factor profiles, and the induction of apoptosis. The mechanism by which a particular antibody exerts an anti-tumor effect may be evaluated using any number of in vitro assays designed to determine ADCC, antibody-dependent macrophage-mediated cytotoxicity (ADMMC), complement-mediated cell lysis, and others known in the art.

The anti-tumor activity of a particular head-and-neck cancer marker antibody, or combination of head-and-neck cancer marker antibodies, may be evaluated in vivo using a suitable animal model. Xenogenic cancer models, where human cancer explants or passaged xenograft tissues are introduced into immune compromised animals, such as nude or SCID mice, may be employed.

The methods of the invention contemplate the administration of single head-and-neck marker antibodies as well as combinations, or “cocktails”, of different individual antibodies such as those recognizing different epitopes of other markers. Such cocktails may have certain advantages inasmuch as they contain antibodies that bind to different epitopes of head-and-neck cancer markers and/or exploit different effector mechanisms or combine directly cytotoxic antibodies with antibodies that rely on immune effector functionality. Such antibodies in combination may exhibit synergistic therapeutic effects. In addition, the administration of one or more head-and-neck marker specific antibodies may be combined with other therapeutic agents, including but not limited to chemotherapeutic agents, androgen-blockers, and immune modulators (e.g., IL2, GM-CSF). The head-and-neck marker specific antibodies may be administered in their “naked” or unconjugated form, or may have therapeutic agents conjugated to them.

The head-and-neck marker specific antibodies used in the methods of the invention may be formulated into pharmaceutical compositions including a carrier suitable for the desired delivery method. Suitable carriers include any material which when combined with the antibodies retains the function of the antibody and is non-reactive with the subject's immune systems. Examples include any of a number of standard pharmaceutical carriers such as sterile phosphate buffered saline solutions, bacteriostatic water, and the like (see, generally, Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences 16^(th) Edition, A. Osal., ed., 1980).

One or more head-and-neck marker specific antibody formulations may be administered via any route capable of delivering the antibodies to the a disease (e.g., tumor) site. Routes of administration include, but are not limited to, intravenous, intraperitoneal, intramuscular, intratumor, intradermal, and the like. Preferably, the route of administration is by intravenous injection. Antibody preparations may be lyophilized and stored as a sterile powder, preferably under vacuum, and then reconstituted in bacteriostatic water containing, for example, benzyl alcohol preservative, or in sterile water prior to injection.

Treatment will generally involve the repeated administration of the antibody preparation via an acceptable route of administration such as intravenous injection (IV), at an effective dose. Dosages will depend upon various factors generally appreciated by those of skill in the art, including the type of disease and the severity, grade, or stage of the disease, the binding affinity and half life of the antibodies used, the degree of head-and-neck marker expression in the patient, the extent of circulating head-and-neck markers, the desired steady-state antibody concentration level, frequency of treatment, and the influence of any chemotherapeutic agents used in combination with the treatment method of the invention. Daily doses may range from about 0.1 to 100 mg/kg. Doses in the range of 10-500 mg antibodies per week may be effective and well tolerated, although even higher weekly doses may be appropriate and/or well tolerated. A determining factor in defining the appropriate dose is the amount of a particular antibody necessary to be therapeutically effective in a particular context. Repeated administrations may be required to achieve disease inhibition or regression. Direct administration of one or more head-and-neck marker antibodies is also possible and may have advantages in certain situations.

Patients may be evaluated for serum cancer markers in order to assist in the determination of the most effective dosing regimen and related factors. The head-and-neck cancer assay methods described herein, or similar assays, may be used for quantifying circulating head-and-neck marker levels in patients prior to treatment. Such assays may also be used for monitoring throughout therapy, and may be useful to gauge therapeutic success in combination with evaluating other parameters such as serum levels of head-and-neck cancer markers.

The invention further provides vaccines formulated to contain one or more head-and-neck marker or fragment thereof.

In an embodiment, the invention provides a method of vaccinating an individual against one or more head-and-neck marker listed in Table 1 and optionally one or more maker listed in Table 2, including the step of inoculating the individual with the marker or fragment thereof that lacks activity, wherein the inoculation elicits an immune response in the individual thereby vaccinating the individual against the marker.

The use in anti-cancer therapy of a tumor antigen in a vaccine for generating humoral and cell-mediated immunity is well known and, for example, has been employed in prostate cancer using human PSMA and rodent PAP immunogens (Hodge et al., 1995, Int. J. Cancer 63: 231-237; and Fong et al., 1997, J. Immunol. 159: 3113-3117). These and similar methods can be practiced by employing one or more head-and-neck cancer markers, or fragment thereof, or head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers and recombinant vectors capable of expressing and appropriately presenting head-and-neck marker immunogens.

By way of example, viral gene delivery systems may be used to deliver one or more head-and-neck cancer polynucleotide markers. Various viral gene delivery systems which can be used in the practice of this aspect of the invention include, but are not limited to, vaccinia, fowlpox, canarypox, adenovirus, influenza, poliovirus, adeno-associated virus, lentivirus, and sindbus virus (Restifo, 1996, Curr. Opin. Immunol. 8: 658-663). Non-viral delivery systems may also be employed by using naked DNA encoding one or more head-and-neck cancer marker or fragment thereof introduced into the patient (e.g., intramuscularly) to induce an anti-tumor response.

Various ex vivo strategies may also be employed. One approach involves the use of cells to present one or more head-and-neck marker to a patient's immune system. For example, autologous dendritic cells which express MHC class I and II, may be pulsed with one or more head-and-neck marker or peptides thereof that are capable of binding to MHC molecules, to thereby stimulate the patients' immune systems (see, for example, Tjoa et al., 1996, Prostate 28: 65-69; Murphy et al., 1996, Prostate 29: 371-380).

Anti-idiotypic head-and-neck marker specific antibodies can also be used in therapy as a vaccine for inducing an immune response to cells expressing one or more head-and-neck marker. The generation of anti-idiotypic antibodies is well known in the art and can readily be adapted to generate anti-idiotypic head-and-neck cancer marker specific antibodies that mimic an epitope on one or more head-and-neck cancer markers (see, for example, Wagner et al., 1997, Hybridoma 16: 33-40; Foon et al., 1995, J. Clin Invest 96: 334-342; and Herlyn et al., 1996, Cancer Immunol Immunother 43: 65-76). Such an antibody can be used in anti-idiotypic therapy as presently practiced with other anti-idiotypic antibodies directed against antigens associated with disease (e.g., tumor antigens).

Genetic immunization methods may be utilized to generate prophylactic or therapeutic humoral and cellular immune responses directed against cells expressing one or more head-and-neck cancer marker. One or more DNA molecules encoding head-and-neck cancer markers, constructs including DNA encoding one or more head-and-neck cancer markers/immunogens and appropriate regulatory sequences may be injected directly into muscle or skin of an individual, such that the cells of the muscle or skin take-up the construct and express the encoded head-and-neck cancer markers/immunogens. The head-and-neck cancer markers/immunogens may be expressed as cell surface proteins or be secreted. Expression of one or more head-and-neck cancer markers results in the generation of prophylactic or therapeutic humoral and cellular immunity against the disease (e.g., cancer). Various prophylactic and therapeutic genetic immunization techniques known in the art may be used.

The invention further provides methods for inhibiting cellular activity (e.g., cell proliferation, activation, or propagation) of a cell expressing one or more OPL or head-and-neck marker. This method includes reacting immunoconjugates of the invention (e.g., a heterogeneous or homogenous mixture) with the cell so that OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers form complexes with the immunoconjugates. A subject with a neoplastic or preneoplastic condition can be treated when the inhibition of cellular activity results in cell death.

In another aspect, the invention provides methods for selectively inhibiting a cell expressing one or more OPL or head-and-neck marker by reacting any one or a combination of the immunoconjugates of the invention with the cell in an amount sufficient to inhibit the cell. Amounts include those that are sufficient to kill the cell or sufficient to inhibit cell growth or proliferation.

Vectors derived from retroviruses, adenovirus, herpes or vaccinia viruses, or from various bacterial plasmids, may be used to deliver polynucleotides encoding OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers to a targeted organ, tissue, or cell population. Methods well known to those skilled in the art may be used to construct recombinant vectors that will express antisense polynucleotides for OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers. (See, for example, the techniques described in Sambrook et al. (supra) and Ausubel et al. (supra).)

Methods for introducing vectors into cells or tissues include those methods discussed herein and which are suitable for in vivo, in vitro and ex vivo therapy. For ex vivo therapy, vectors may be introduced into stem cells obtained from a patient and clonally propagated for autologous transplant into the same patient (See U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,399,493 and 5,437,994). Delivery by transfection and by liposome are well known in the art.

Genes encoding OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers can be turned off by transfecting a cell or tissue with vectors that express high levels of a desired OPL or head-and-neck marker-encoding fragment. Such constructs can inundate cells with untranslatable sense or antisense sequences. Even in the absence of integration into the DNA, such vectors may continue to transcribe RNA molecules until all copies are disabled by endogenous nucleases.

Modifications of gene expression can be obtained by designing antisense molecules, DNA, RNA or PNA, to the regulatory regions of a gene encoding a head-and-neck marker including but not limited to OPL marker, i.e., the promoters, enhancers, and introns. Preferably, oligonucleotides are derived from the transcription initiation site, e.g., between −10 and +10 regions of the leader sequence. The antisense molecules may also be designed so that they block translation of mRNA by preventing the transcript from binding to ribosomes. Inhibition may also be achieved using “triple helix” base-pairing methodology. Triple helix pairing compromises the ability of the double helix to open sufficiently for the binding of polymerases, transcription factors, or regulatory molecules. Therapeutic advances using triplex DNA were reviewed by Gee J E et al., in: Huber and Carr (1994), Molecular and Immunologic Approaches, Futura Publishing Co, Mt Kisco, N.Y.

Ribozymes are enzymatic RNA molecules that catalyze the specific cleavage of RNA. Ribozymes act by sequence-specific hybridization of the ribozyme molecule to complementary target RNA, followed by endonucleolytic cleavage. The invention therefore contemplates engineered hammerhead motif ribozyme molecules that can specifically and efficiently catalyze endonucleolytic cleavage of sequences encoding a head-and-neck marker.

Specific ribozyme cleavage sites within any potential RNA target may initially be identified by scanning the target molecule for ribozyme cleavage sites which include the following sequences, GUA, GUU, and GUC. Once the sites are identified, short RNA sequences of between 15 and 20 ribonucleotides corresponding to the region of the target gene containing the cleavage site may be evaluated for secondary structural features which may render the oligonucleotide inoperable. The suitability of candidate targets may also be determined by testing accessibility to hybridization with complementary oligonucleotides using ribonuclease protection assays.

One or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers and polynucleotides encoding the markers, and fragments thereof, may be used in the treatment of a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or head-and-neck cancer) in a subject. In an aspect the OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers and polynucleotides encoding the markers are OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers that are down-regulated in OPL or head-and-neck cancer, for example, mucin 5B, alpha 1 anti-trypsin, and one or more of the down-regulated markers listed in Table 2. The markers or polynucleotides may be formulated into compositions for administration to subjects suffering from a head-and-neck disease. Therefore, the present invention also relates to a composition including one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or polynucleotides encoding the markers, or a fragment thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, excipient or diluent. A method for treating or preventing a head-and-neck disease in a subject is also provided including administering to a patient in need thereof, one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or polynucleotides encoding the markers, or a composition of the invention.

The invention further provides a method of inhibiting a head-and-neck disease (e.g., OPL or head-and-neck cancer) in a patient including:

-   -   (a) obtaining a sample including diseased cells from the         patient;     -   (b) separately maintaining aliquots of the sample in the         presence of a plurality of test agents;     -   (c) comparing levels of one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer         markers, and/or polynucleotides encoding one or more OPL or         head-and-neck cancer markers in each aliquot;     -   (d) administering to the patient at least one of the test agents         which alters the levels of the OPL or head-and-neck cancer         markers, and/or polynucleotides encoding one or more OPL or         head-and-neck cancer markers in the aliquot containing that test         agent, relative to the other test agents.

An active therapeutic substance described herein may be administered in a convenient manner such as by injection (subcutaneous, intravenous, etc.), oral administration, inhalation, transdermal application, or rectal administration. Depending on the route of administration, the active substance may be coated in a material to protect the substance from the action of enzymes, acids and other natural conditions that may inactivate the substance. Solutions of an active compound as a free base or pharmaceutically acceptable salt can be prepared in an appropriate solvent with a suitable surfactant. Dispersions may be prepared in glycerol, liquid polyethylene glycols, and mixtures thereof, or in oils.

The compositions described herein can be prepared by per se known methods for the preparation of pharmaceutically acceptable compositions which can be administered to subjects, such that an effective quantity of the active substance is combined in a mixture with a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle. Suitable vehicles are described, for example, in Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences (Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mack Publishing Company, Easton, Pa., USA, 1985). On this basis, the compositions include, albeit not exclusively, the active substances in association with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable vehicles or diluents, and contained in buffered solutions with a suitable pH and iso-osmotic with the physiological fluids.

The compositions are indicated as therapeutic agents either alone or in conjunction with other therapeutic agents or other forms of treatment. The compositions of the invention may be administered concurrently, separately, or sequentially with other therapeutic agents or therapies. The therapeutic activity of compositions, agents, and compounds may be identified using a method of the invention and may be evaluated in vivo using a suitable animal model.

The inventors' study is a significant advancement in this direction as it lays major thrust on determining the clinical impact of a proteomics based biomarker in predicting the high risk leukoplakia, as early as hyperplasia, and clinical outcome in HNOSCC patients after treatment of primary tumors. The unique features of the inventors' study are its prospective nature, the large number of patients in this type of disease setting, and the length of follow-up of leukoplakia and HNOSCC patients. Furthermore, in support of the proposed role of hnRNPK as a transformation-related protein, its overexpression in early oral lesions is a very important unique finding of this study and herein the inventors present clinical evidence to establish its link with progression potential of leukoplakia. To the inventors' knowledge, this is the first investigation to demonstrate the clinical application of a candidate biomarker identified using MS-based tissue proteomics in identifying early oral premalignant lesions that may be at high risk of disease progression.

Most studies on leukoplakia focus on dysplastic lesions, while knowledge of molecular alterations in oral hyperplasias is meager. As per the existing literature, the malignant transformation potential is often linked to the severity of dysplasia; in comparison the hyperplastic lesions have received less attention, primarily because lesions undergo spontaneous regression. However, the lesions that do not regress need identification and biomarkers to predict the risk of malignant transformation. In this context the inventors' study assumes importance, because not only does it show aberrant hnRNPK expression as early as in hyperplasia, but the follow-up study also points to the relevance of cytoplasmic hnRNPK in predicting the risk of disease progression in leukoplakia patients with hyperplasia and HNOSCCs.

It is noteworthy that studies on molecular analysis of leukoplakia with hyperplasia are very limited, because these patients often do not come to the clinics since their lesions are small and do not pose any overt clinical problem. However, it is extremely important to target this patient population for risk assessment and early intervention for cancer prevention in high risk cases. Hence, the inventors' findings are important and warrant further validation in larger independent studies on oral hyperplastic lesions. Furthermore, the cytoplasmic expression of hnRNPK protein observed in epithelial cells of a subset of hyperplastic and dysplastic lesions points to a potential role in development and progression during early stages of oral tumorigenesis, while the overexpression in HNOSCCs and association with poor prognosis suggests a sustained involvement in frank malignancy as well.

The inventors' promising findings will stimulate other groups to undertake large scale studies to evaluate hnRNPK's potential as an indicator of risk of progression of leukoplakia and role in development and progression during early stages of head and neck/oral tumorigenesis. Furthermore, targeting hnRNPK might be a new chemopreventive/therapeutic strategy in head-and-neck and oral cancer.

The present invention is described in the following non-limiting Examples, which are set forth to illustrate and to aid in an understanding of the invention, and should not be construed to limit in any way the scope of the invention as defined in the claims which follow thereafter.

EXAMPLES

In Examples 1-13, the inventors demonstrate the identification of a consistently increased expression of a panel of proteins, including stratifin (14-3-3σ) and YWHAZ (14-3-3ζ), that may serve as cancer biomarkers. In Examples 14-20, the prognostic utility of these two candidate biomarkers for head-and-neck/oral squamous cell carcinoma (HNOSCC) is described. In Examples 21-27, the clinical significance and utility of one of the OPL markers, hnRNPK, in early premalignant stages and in development, progression, and prognosis of premalignant lesions and confirmed/frank head-and-neck malignancies, is described.

Example 1 Samples and Reagents

Head-and-neck cancer and oral leukoplakia tissues were retrieved from an in-house, dedicated, research head-and-neck tissue bank, with approval from the Human Ethics Committee of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. With patient consent, biopsies/excised tissue specimens of oral leukoplakia and surgically resected specimens of HNSCCs, and paired non-cancerous tissues (each taken from a distant site) were collected and banked from patients undergoing treatment at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Normal tissues with no evidence of cancer (non-paired noncancerous controls) were collected from patients attending the Dental Outpatient Department of All India Institute of Medical Sciences for tooth extraction, after consent of the patients. After excision, tissues were flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen within 20 min of devitalization and stored at −80° C. until further use; one tissue piece was collected in 10% formalin and embedded in paraffin for histopathological analysis. The clinical and pathological data were recorded in a pre-designed proforma. These included clinical TNM staging (tumor, node, metastasis based on International Union Against Cancer's classification of malignant tumors, 1988), site of the lesion, histopathological differentiation, age, and gender of the patients.

The histologic diagnosis (dysplasia for OPLs and histological normal oral epithelium for controls) was rendered using microscopic examination of hematoxylin-and-eosin-stained frozen section of each research tissue block. The histologic diagnosis for each HNSCC sample was reconfirmed using microscopic examination of a hematoxylin-and-eosin-stained frozen section of each research tissue block. The tissue from the mirror face of the histologic section was then washed three times in approximately 1 ml of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) with a cocktail of protease inhibitors as described previously (1 mM 4-(2-aminoethyl)benzenesulfonyl fluoride, 10 μM leupeptin, 1 μg/ml aprotinin, and 1 μM pepstatin) (21). The washed tissue was then homogenized in 0.5 ml PBS with protease inhibitors, using a handheld homogenizer. These homogenates were then flash frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at −80° C. until use. Samples were thawed and clarified by centrifugation and the protein concentration determined by a Bradford-type assay using Bio-Rad protein quantification reagent (Bio-Rad, Mississauga, ON, Canada).

The iTRAQ experiments were performed in five sets of four samples each for the HNSCC samples. A pool of non-paired non-cancerous head-and-neck tissue homogenates was used as a control in each set of experiments: equal amounts of total protein from the lysates of six non-cancerous samples (non-paired controls) were pooled to generate a common reference “control sample” against which all the HNSCC samples were compared. Each sample contained 200 μg of proteins. Trypsin digestion and labeling were performed according to the manufacturer's (Applied Biosystems′) protocol; however, as double the manufacturer's recommended amounts were used, two individual vials of each reagent were used for labeling each sample. iTRAQ labeling was performed as follows: control (non-paired non-cancerous pool), iTRAQ reagent 114; two cancer samples, iTRAQ 115 and 117; individual non-cancerous tissue sample (paired or non-paired sample), iTRAQ 116. A total of five iTRAQ sets were analyzed resulting in ten cancer (five buccal mucosa and five tongue) samples and two paired non-cancerous plus three non-paired noncancerous samples being compared to the control sample. The paired non-cancerous samples originated from patients with cancer that were resected from sites a minimum of 2 cm away from the advancing edge of the cancer. Each iTRAQ set was analyzed with one run each of online 2D LC-MS/MS and offline 2D LC-MS/MS analyses.

The experiments with OPLs were performed in three sets of four samples; the same pool of non-cancerous oral-tissue homogenates was used as a control in each set of experiments. Each analytical set comprised 4−100 μg of each sample labeled as follows: control (normal pool) was labeled with one iTRAQ tag; two OPL samples were labeled with two other iTRAQ tags; and an individual histological normal tissue sample was labeled with the fourth iTRAQ tag. Thus a total of six OPLs and three histological normal samples were compared to the control sample in three iTRAQ sets. The order in which the samples were labeled within each of these three sets was randomized to minimize any systematic error and bias. The iTRAQ analysis of these samples was performed with one run of online reverse phase LC-MS/MS for preliminary examinations, and three replicate runs per set of online two-dimensional LC-MS/MS analyses.

Example 2 Strong Cation Exchange (SCX) Separation Conditions

For the offline 2D LC-MS/MS analysis, each set of labeled samples was first separated by SCX fractionation using an HP1050 high-performance liquid chromatograph (Agilent, Palo Alto, Calif., U.S.) with a 2.1-mm internal diameter (ID)×100-mm length polysulfoethyl A column packed with 5-μm beads with 300 Å pores (The Nest Group, Southborough, Mass.) as described previously (21). A 2.1-mm ID×10-mm length guard column of the same material was fitted immediately upstream of the analytical column. Separation was performed as previously described (21). Briefly, each pooled sample set was diluted with the loading buffer (15 mM KH2PO4 in 25% acetonitrile, pH 3.0) to a total volume of 2 ml and the pH adjusted to 3.0 with phosphoric acid. Samples were then filtered using a 0.45-μm syringe filter (Millipore, Cambridge, ON, Canada) before loading onto the column. Separation was performed using a linear binary gradient over one hour. Buffer A was identical in composition to the loading buffer, while Buffer B was Buffer A containing 350 mM KCl. Fractions were collected every two minutes using an SF-2120 Super Fraction Collector (Advantec MFs, Dublin, Calif.), after an initial wait of 2 minutes to accommodate the void volume. This resulted in a total of 30 SCX fractions per sample set. These fractions were dried by speed vacuuming (Thermo Savant SC110 A, Holbrook, N.Y.) and resuspended in 30 μl of 0.1% formic acid each.

For the online 2D LC-MS/MS analysis, an SCX cartridge (BioX-SCX, LC Packings, The Netherlands) was plumbed upstream of the reverse phase (RP) desalting cartridge and analytical column. This SCX cartridge was connected through a second valve on the Switchos unit as shown in FIG. 1. Samples were separated on this SCX cartridge using 10 μl step elutions with increasing concentration of ammonium acetate (10 mM, 50 mM, 100 mM, 150 mM, 200 mM, 250 mM, 300 mM, 350 mM, 500 mM and 1M). Each step elution was loaded onto the RP desalting column using the switching program as shown in FIG. 1, where the eluting peptides were desalted before loading onto the analytical column that was subsequently brought inline with the desalting column. The flow path used for these steps was designed to ensure that there was never any flow reversal through either of the cartridges (SCX or RP). Separation on the RP analytical column was effected as described for the second stage of the offline LC-MS/MS analysis described below.

Example 3 LC-MS/MS Run Conditions

The SCX fractions from 6 to 30 were analyzed by nanoLC-MS/MS using the LC Packings Ultimate instrument (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) fitted with a 10-μl sample loop. Samples were loaded, using a μl pick-up mode, onto a 5-mm RP C18 pre-column (LC Packings) at 50 μl/min and washed for 4 min before switching the precolumn inline with the separation column. The separation column used was either a 75-μm ID×150-mm length PepMap RP column from LC Packings packed with 3 μm C18 beads with 100 Å pores, or an in-house equivalent packed with similar beads (Kromasil; The Nest Group, Southborough, Mass.). The flow rate used for separation on the RP column was 200 nl/min with the following gradient:

Time (min) 0 10 15 125 145 150 160 162 188 % B 5 5 15 35 60 80 80 5 Stop

Samples were analyzed on a QSTAR Pulsar i mass spectrometer (Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX, Foster City, Calif.) in information-dependent acquisition (IDA) mode with the scan cycles set up to perform a 1-s MS scan followed by five MS/MS scans of the five most abundant peaks for 2 s each. Every fourth scan the peak that was closest in intensity to the threshold of 10 counts was selected for MS/MS. Data acquisition was performed without any repetitions and with a dynamic exclusion of 30 s. Relative protein abundances were determined using the MS/MS scans of iTRAQ-labeled peptides (17). The iTRAQ-labeled peptides fragmented under collision-induced dissociation (CID) conditions to give reporter ions at 114.1, 115.1, 116.1, and 117.1 Th.

The ratios of peak areas of the iTRAQ reporter ions reflect the relative abundances of the peptides and, consequently, the proteins in the samples. Larger, sequence-information-rich fragment ions were also produced under these conditions and gave the identity of the protein from which the peptide was derived.

The OPL samples were analyzed on a Q-STAR Pulsar-i hybrid quadrupole/time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometer (Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX, Foster City, Calif.) in information-dependent acquisition (IDA) mode with the scan cycles set up to perform a 1-s MS scan followed by five MS/MS scans of the five most abundant ions for 2 s each. The method was also set up to select the least abundant ions in the MS scan that are nearest to a threshold of 10 counts on every fourth scan. Data acquisition was performed without any repetitions and with a dynamic exclusion of 30 s. Relative protein abundances were determined using the 114.1, 115.1, 116.1 and 117.1 Th reporter ions in the MS/MS scans of the iTRAQ-labeled peptides (23). The ratios of the peak areas of the iTRAQ reporter ions reflect the relative abundances of the peptides and the relative concentrations of the proteins in the samples. Larger, sequence-information-rich fragment ions were also produced under these MS/MS conditions and gave the identity of the protein from which the peptide originated.

Example 4 Data Analysis

The software used for data acquisition was Analyst QS 1.1 (Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX). Data were analyzed using ProteinPilot (21, 28) and the database searched was the Celera human database (human KBMS 20041109) with a total of 178, 243 entries, both provided by Applied Biosystems Inc. Identified proteins were grouped by the software to minimize redundancy. All peptides used for the calculation of protein ratios were unique to the given protein or proteins within the group; peptides that were common to other isoforms or proteins of the same family that were reported separately were ignored. The ProteinPilot cutoff score used was 1.3, which corresponds to a confidence limit of 95%.

Example 5 Statistical Analysis

The average iTRAQ ratios from different runs were calculated for each protein in the offline and online analyses. Thereafter, the iTRAQ ratios for each protein in the two analyses were averaged. Proteins that were selected for further analysis met the following criteria: (1) detection in ≧6 out of the 10 cancer samples, ≧50% of which showed differential expression≧1.5-fold relative to the control sample, and/or (2) known to be of interest from other studies. These proteins are listed in Table 1 along with two housekeeping proteins (to contrast the performance of the potential biomarkers).

For the OPL samples, the average iTRAQ ratios from the replicates were calculated for each protein. Proteins selected for further statistical analysis met the following criteria: (1) detection in ≧3 of 6 OPLs, and ≧50% of which showed differential expression≧50% higher than the control sample, and/or (2) known to be of interest based on their biological functions or associations with tumorigenesis. These proteins are listed in Table 6 along with two housekeeping proteins (to contrast the performance of the potential biomarkers).

Example 6 Biomarker Panel Analysis

To identify a panel of best-performing proteins that can distinguish between HNSCC and non-cancerous tissues, each protein in Table 1 was individually assessed for its ability to discriminate between normal and cancer samples by evaluating its receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve based on the iTRAQ ratios. Plotting ROC curves and calculating the area-under-the-curve (AUC) and other attributes were performed using the ROCR package within the R statistical computing environment (29). Proteins giving the highest AUC values were selected for biomarker panel analysis and used as input variables into a Naïve Bayes model, implemented in JAVA (30) using the WEKA package (31). Given a sample i that has iTRAQ ratios (or IHC scores, see later) in the vector x(i), the Naïve Bayes model has the form:

P(i=cancer|x(i))=P(cancer)×P(x(i))|i=cancer)/P(x(i))

where P(i=cancer|x(i)) is the probability that i is a cancer sample given its x(i) values. This is the posterior probability and is calculated using Bayes theorem. A value≧0.5 is considered a positive hit. P(x(i)|i=cancer) is the probability that within the cancer samples, x(i) exists within them. P(cancer) is the probability of i being a cancer sample; this is the prior probability. P(x(i)) is the probability of i occurring and is a normalization factor. Nine trials of three-fold cross validation were used for each biomarker panel input into the Naïve Bayes model. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for each trial.

To identify a panel of best-performing proteins that can distinguish between OPL and normal tissues, each protein in Table 6 was individually assessed for its ability to discriminate between histological normal and OPL samples by evaluating its receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) performance based on the iTRAQ ratio values in terms of sensitivity and specificity using the ROCR package within the R statistical computing environment (29, 30). Proteins giving the highest AUC values were selected for biomarker panel analysis and used as input variables into a Naïve Bayes model, implemented in JAVA (30) using the WEKA package (31). Nine trials of three-fold cross-validation were used for each biomarker panel input into the Naïve Bayes model. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for each trial and the averages are shown in Table 7A. The ROC curve for the panel of the three-best biomarkers-stratifin, YWHAZ (14-3-3 zeta), and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNPK)—is depicted in FIG. 6A.

Example 7 Verification of Candidate Potential Cancer Markers (PCMS) by Immunohistochemistry

The three best-performing proteins from the above biomarker panel analysis were selected for immunohistochemical verification using an independent, larger sample set (Table 12). Antibodies against these three biomarkers were available commercially (Santa Cruz Biotechnology Inc., Santa Cruz, Calif., Table 13). Each antibody was first optimized with respect to dilution and the use of microwave heating in citrate buffer (0.01 M, pH 6.0) to expose the antigen (“antigen retrieval”). Paraffin-embedded sections (5 μm) of human HNSCCs (25 cases) and paired head-and-neck non-cancerous tissues from these patients (25 samples), as well as non-paired non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues (10 samples) were collected on gelatin-coated slides. For histopathological analysis, representative sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin; immunostaining was done on serial sections as previously described (32). Following the application of a protein blocker for 10 min, deparaffinized tissue sections were first incubated with the primary antibodies for 1 h at room temperature or for 16 h at 4° C., followed by the respective secondary antibody conjugated with biotin. The primary antibody was detected using the streptavidin-biotin complex (DAKO LSAB plus kit, DAKO Cytomation, Denmark) and diaminobenzidine as chromogen. Slides were washed with 3× Tris-buffered saline (TBS, 0.1 M, pH=7.4) after every step. Finally, the sections were counterstained with Mayer's hematoxylin and mounted with DPX mountant. In the negative controls, the primary antibody was replaced by non-immune mouse IgG of the same isotype to ensure specificity. HNSCC tissue sections with known immunopositivity for specific proteins were used as positive controls in each batch of sections analyzed (32).

Example 8 Evaluation of Immunohistochemical Staining

The immunopositive staining was evaluated in five areas. Sections were scored as positive if epithelial cells showed immunopositivity in the cytoplasm, plasma membrane and/or nucleus when judged independently by two scorers who were blinded to the clinical outcome, i.e., the slides were coded and the pathologists did not have prior knowledge of the local tumor burden, lymphonodular spread, and grading of the tissue samples, while scoring the immunoreactivity. First, a quantitative score was performed by estimating the percentage of immunopositive-stained cells: 0<10% cells, 1=10-30% cells, 2=30-50% cells, 3=50-70% cells, and 4=>70% cells. Second, the intensity of staining was scored by evaluating the average staining intensity of the positive cells (0, none; 1, weak; 2, intermediate; and 3, strong). Finally, a total score (ranging from 0 to 7) was obtained by adding the quantitative score and the intensity score for each of the 60 sections. The immunohistochemical data were subjected to statistical analysis as described above for the MS results.

Example 9 Western Blot Analysis of Proteins in HNSCCS and Normal Tissues

Whole-cell lysates were prepared from five HNSCCs and five non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues. Frozen tissue samples were homogenized and lysed in a buffer containing 50 mM Tris-Cl (pH 7.5), 150 mM NaCl, 10 mM MgCl2, 1 mM ethylenediamine tetraacetate (pH 8.0), 1% Nonidet P-40, 100 mM sodium fluoride, 1 mM phenylmethylenesulfonyl fluoride, and 2 μl/ml protease inhibitor cocktail (Sigma). Protein concentrations were determined using the Bradford reagent (Sigma), and equal amounts of proteins (80 μg/lane) from the HNSCCs and non-cancerous tissues were resolved on 12% sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel. The proteins were then electro-transferred onto polyvinylidene-difluoride (PVDF) membranes. After blocking with 5% non-fat powdered milk in TBS (0.1 M, pH=7.4), blots were incubated with the respective primary antibodies (1:200 dilution) at 4° C. overnight. The protein abundance of alpha-tubulin was used as a control for protein loading, and was determined with mouse monoclonal anti-alpha-tubulin antibody (Clone B7, Santa Cruz Biotechnology Inc.). Membranes were incubated with the respective secondary antibody, HRP-conjugated rabbit/goat/mouse anti-IgG (goat anti-rabbit IgG, 1:5000; rabbit anti-goat IgG, 1:4000; or rabbit anti-mouse IgG, 1:2000, DAKO Cytomation, Denmark), and diluted with 1% bovine serum albumin for 2 h at room temperature. After each step, blots were washed three times with Tween (0.2%)-TBS. Protein bands were detected by the enhanced chemiluminescence method (Santa Cruz Biotechnology Inc.) on XO-MAT film.

The panel of the three-best biomarkers for OPLs-stratifin, YWHAZ and hnRNPK-together with two additionally promising proteins-S100A7 and prothymosin alpha (PTHA)-were evaluated for their performances using IHC on an independent set of 30 OPLs and 21 histological normal oral tissues. The inventors included S100A7 because it had high individual AUC value and was identified as one of the best-performing PCMs in the inventors' earlier iTRAQ analysis of HNOSCCs (23); it is important to determine whether overexpression of S100A7 occurs in early stages in the development of HNOSCC. PTHA was included because it also had high individual AUC value and had been reported to be important in other cancers (33-36). The sources of the antibodies and dilutions used for IHC are given in Table 13. After histological confirmations of dysplasia in OPLs and normal oral mucosa in the control tissues, paraffin-embedded tissue sections were processed for immunohistochemistry (23).

Briefly, after antigen retrieval, tissue sections were incubated with the primary antibodies (See Table 13 for details) for 16 h at 4° C., followed by the respective biotin conjugated secondary antibodies and detected using streptavidin-biotin complex (DAKO LSAB plus kit, DAKO Cytomation, Glostrup, Denmark) and diaminobenzidine as the chromogen. In the negative controls, the primary antibody was replaced by isotype specific non-immune mouse IgG to ensure specificity. HNOSCC sections with known immunopositivity for respective proteins as reported earlier (23) were used as positive control in each batch of sections analyzed (FIG. 20).

Example 10 Evaluation of Immunohistochemical Staining

Immunopositive staining was evaluated in five areas of the tissue sections as described (32). Sections were scored as positive if epithelial cells showed immunopositivity in the cytoplasm, plasma membrane, and/or nucleus when observed by two evaluators who were blinded to the clinical outcome. These sections were scored as follows: 0, <10% cells; 1, 10-30% cells; 2, 30-50% cells; 3, 50-70% cells; and 4, >70% cells showed immunoreactivity. Sections were also scored semi-quantitatively on the basis of intensity as follows: 0, none; 1, mild; 2, moderate; and 3, intense. Finally, a total score (ranging from 0 to 7) was obtained by adding the scores of percentage positivity and intensity for each of the 51 sections (30 OPLs and 21 histologically normal tissues). The immunohistochemical data were subjected to statistical analysis as described above for the iTRAQ ratios.

Example 11 Western Blot Analysis of 14-3-3 Proteins in OPLS and Normal Tissues

Whole-cell lysates were prepared from 3 OPLs and 3 normal oral tissues using lysis buffer containing 50 mM Tris-Cl (pH 7.5), 150 mM sodium chloride, 10 mM magnesium chloride, 1 mM EDTA (pH 8.0), 1% Nonidet P-40, 100 mM sodium fluoride, 1 mM phenylmethylene sulphonylfluoride, and 2 μl/ml protease inhibitor cocktail (23). Equal amounts of proteins (80 μg/lane) from OPLs and normal tissues were resolved on 12% SDS-polyacrylamide gels. The proteins were then electro-transferred onto polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes. After blocking with 5% non-fat milk in TBS (0.1 M, pH 7.4), blots were incubated at 4° C. overnight with the respective antibodies (details given in Table 13). The sources of the antibodies and dilutions used for IHC for OPL markers are given in Table 13. Protein abundance of α-tubulin served as a control for protein loading. Membranes were incubated with the respective secondary antibodies, horseradish peroxidase-conjugated rabbit/goat/mouse anti-IgG diluted at the appropriate dilution in 1% BSA for 2 h at room temperature. After each step, blots were washed three times with Tween (0.2%)-Tris-buffer saline (TTBS). Protein bands were detected by the enhanced chemiluminescence method (ECL, Santa Cruz Biotechnology Inc.) on XO-MAT film.

Example 12 Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) Analysis

To determine if overexpression of the five proteins in OPLs were due to increase in the transcript levels, RT-PCR analysis was performed using total RNA isolated from OPLs and normal oral mucosa (3 each), using gene-specific primers for YWHAZ, stratifin, hnRNPK, S100A7 and PTHA, and beta actin as a control (See Table 14 for gene-specific primer sequences (synthesized by Microsynth, Switzerland) and PCR conditions used). Synthesis of complementary DNAs (cDNAs) were carried out by reverse transcription of 2.0 μg of total RNA using MMLV reverse transcriptase. PCR amplification was carried out in a total volume of 20 μl containing 3 μl reverse transcribed cDNA, 10×PCR buffer, 10 mM dNTPs, 20 μM of each primer and 1 U of Taq polymerase. After 5 min of initial denaturation, 32 amplification cycles of 1 min at 94° C.-1 min at specific annealing temperature and 1 min at 72° C.-were carried out, followed by a 10-min elongation at 72° C. β-actin was used as a control to optimize the amounts of cDNAs generated. PCR products were separated on 1.5% agarose gel, stained with ethidium bromide, and visualized with Chemilmager IS-4400 (Alpha Innotech Corp., CA) (23).

Example 13 Network Analysis

The 30 proteins listed in Table 6 were used for network analysis. HUGO or SwissProt accession numbers were imported into the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) Software (Ingenuity Systems, Mountain View, Calif.). The IPA database consists of proprietary ontology representing 300 000 biologic objects ranging from genes, proteins, and molecular and cellular processes. More than 11 200 human genes are currently represented in the database. The proteins were categorized based on location, cellular components, and reported or suggested biochemical, biologic, and molecular functions using the software. The identified proteins were mapped to networks that were generated based on evidence from existing literature available in the Ingenuity database and then ranked by score. A score of 3 or higher has a 99.9% confidence level of not being generated by random chance alone and was used as the cutoff for identifying protein networks. The molecules identified in the networks and their cellular functions are given in Table 15.

Provided below is a summary of the results obtained by the inventors in connection with the experiments of Examples 1-13:

The offline and online 2D LC-MS/MS analyses collectively resulted in the identification of a total of 811 non-redundant proteins. Only a few of these proteins displayed consistent differential expression in the HNSCC samples (measured in ≧6 out of the 10 samples and with ≧50% showing ≧1.5-fold differential expression relative to the control sample) that warranted further analysis. These proteins, all confidently identified with ≧two peptide matches (except APC-binding protein EB1 and superoxide dismutase [Mn]) are given in Table 1 along with two structural proteins, actin and β-2-tubulin, as controls. (See Table 11 for peptide sequences and coverage, and FIG. 19A for the CID spectra of the single-peptide identifications.) As the nanoLC analyses were performed on 25 SCX fractions, the acquired data files were searched in two groups out of necessity (the version of ProteinPilot software available at that time was incapable of handling a large number of data files each with a large amount of data). Fractions 6-15 were, therefore, searched in one group, while fractions 16-30 were searched in a second group.

The ProteinPilot result files from these two halves were then exported into an Excel spreadsheet where the proteins of interest from the two searches were combined by averaging the ratios for the protein in each sample. It is noteworthy that each of the ratios reported by searching either half of the fractions is itself comprised of the ratios from multiple peptides identified in the given protein. ProteinPilot automatically only includes unique and high-confidence matches of peptides for any particular protein in the ratios reported (i.e., it excludes those that are shared between different isoforms of any protein or low-confidence matches to peptides). These averaged ratios from the offline and online analyses were then again averaged and reported in Table 1. Of all the individual expression ratios (two offline and two online), 56.4% varied by less than 10% from their respective average shown, and 82.0% varied by less than 20%. It is reassuring that the expression ratios from different analyses and separate handling were comparable.

Nine proteins that did not meet the cutoff criteria stated above-cytokeratin 14, polybromo 1D, PKM2, annexin A1, nucleophosmin 1, Hsp27, cystatin B, GRP 94, and MARCKS-were also included in Table 1 for further analysis, as these had been reported in head-and-neck cancer or are of biological relevance in cancer. The HNSCCs analyzed included five squamous-cell carcinomas (SCCs) of buccal mucosa and five SCCs of the tongue. The rationale for the choice of these two SCC types was to determine if there are site-specific protein expressions or not. The best-performing proteins that can differentiate between HNSCC and non-cancerous tissues were identified by determining the individual receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curves of the proteins in Table 1 (as described in the Experimental section). The three proteins with the highest AUC values—YWHAZ, Stratifin and S100 A7—are listed in Table 2 together with their individual and collective figures-of-merit, including sensitivity (cancer samples correctly identified as cancer samples) and specificity (normal samples correctly identified as normal samples). As a panel, the three best-performing biomarkers achieved a sensitivity of 0.92 and a specificity of 0.91 in discriminating HNSCC from non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues (Table 2 and FIG. 2 a).

A number of proteins, e.g., prothymosin alpha and APC-binding protein EB1, were predominantly overexpressed in SCCs of buccal mucosa (Table 1) and showed some promise in differentiating between SCCs of buccal mucosa and the tongue; however, as the number of samples are small, this possibility will need to be fully investigated in a future study involving more samples of both types.

Verification of candidate protein biomarkers is a necessary step in moving from the initial discovery to possible application. The panel of three best-performing biomarkers identified by MS analysis-YWHAZ, Stratifin and S100 A7-were chosen for verification in a different and larger set of HNSCCs and non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues. Verification exercises included immunohistochemical (FIG. 3) and Western blot analyses (FIG. 4) at the protein level, as well as RT-PCR analysis (FIG. 5) at the mRNA level. All verification results support the above MS findings. In the immunohistochemical analysis, the biomarker panel of YWHAZ, Stratifin and S100A7 achieved a sensitivity of 0.92 and a specificity of 0.87 (Table 3 and FIG. 2 b) in discriminating HNSCCs from non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues. The paired non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues obtained from HNSCC patients might have altered protein expressions prior to histological changes.

To investigate this possibility, the noncancerous tissues were segregated into paired and non-paired groups and evaluated separately with the HNSCCs. Significantly, the panel of the three biomarkers-YWHAZ, Stratifin and S100A7-appears to perform better in discriminating HNSCC tissues against the non-paired non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues (sensitivity, 0.96; specificity, 0.96) than against the paired non-cancerous tissues (sensitivity, 0.92; specificity, 0.83) (see Table 4). These results appear to support the notion of protein-expression alterations prior to histological changes and caution the use of only paired samples.

The LC-MS/MS analyses of OPLs collectively resulted in identification of 439 non-redundant proteins; 216 were identified as single hits with more than 95% confidence. Of all the proteins identified, only 17 passed the inventors' criteria for further statistical analysis (vide supra). Of this subset, 15 proteins were confidently identified with a minimum of two peptide matches in each case (See Table 11 for peptide sequences and coverage). Two proteins, parathymosin and DLC 1 were identified by single peptides (See FIG. 19B-E for the CID spectra of the single-peptide identifications). These 17 proteins are given in Table 6, along with two structural proteins, β-actin and gelsolin precursor, as controls. Table 6 also depicts the variations in the levels of overexpressed and underexpressed proteins in individual OPL and histological normal tissues versus the pooled normal control. These differential expression levels were averages of the replicate injections: 56.4% of the ratios varied by less than 10% from their respective averages shown, and 82.0% varied by less than 20%.

Thirteen proteins that did not meet the aforementioned initial criteria-IGL2, p37AUF1 (hnRNPD), SOD2, PKM2, hnRNPA1, HSP27, cofilin, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, NDP kinase B, elongation factor 2, CALM3, PEBP and S100A7-were also included in Table 6 for further analysis, as they are of biological relevance in cancer development. Of these, 11 proteins were confidently identified with a minimum of two peptide matches in each case (see Table 11B-E for peptide sequences and coverage). p37AUF1 (hnRNPD) was identified by a single peptide with a confidence of 99% (see FIG. 19D for the CID spectra of the single-peptide identification). SOD2 was identified by more than one unique peptide; however, the best-matching peptide was identified with a confidence of only 93%. Although this peptide did not meet the inventors' stipulated criteria for acceptance, manual verification of the spectrum showed good sequence coverage for this peptide (FIG. 19E). Furthermore, the cumulative score, which included the lower confidence peptide matches, was >2.0 and corresponded to a confidence of 99%.

The best-performing proteins that can differentiate between OPLs and normal tissues were identified by determining the individual ROC curves of the proteins in Table 7. The three proteins with the highest AUC values-YWHAZ, stratifin and hnRNPK—are listed in Table 7A together with their individual and collective figures-of-merit, including sensitivity and specificity. As a panel, these three biomarkers achieved a sensitivity of 0.83 and a specificity of 0.74 in discriminating OPLs from histological normal oral tissues (Table 7A and FIG. 6A).

Verification of Candidate Biomarkers by Immunohistochemistry, Western Blot, and RT-PCR Analyses.

The panel of three potential biomarkers, YWHAZ, stratifin and hnRNPK, and two other proteins with high AUC values, S100A7 (0.56) and PTHA (0.56), were chosen for verification in an independent set of OPLs (30 cases) and normal tissues (21 cases) by IHC. Representative levels of expression and subcellular localizations of all five proteins in oral dysplastic tissues in comparison with normal tissues are shown in FIG. 7A-E. (FIG. 20 depicts the positive and negative controls used for each protein analyzed by IHC.) These data were further verified by Western blot analysis (FIG. 8A) at the protein level, as well as RT-PCR analysis at the mRNA level (FIG. 8B).

The differential expression suggested by iTRAQ ratios tended to be moderate, whereas the results of Western and RT-PCR analyses tended to show more extreme differential expression. Thus, Western and RT-PCR analyses, verified the differential expression reported by the iTRAQ analysis in trend, but not in scale. This discrepancy of scale has also been noted in other studies and has been ascribed to compression of the dynamic range of iTRAQ ratios (21). Specifically, in that study the inventors determined that a two-fold differential expression as determined by iTRAQ analysis was in reality closer to a four-fold differential expression in an absolute quantification study that was performed on the same samples. Importantly, in IHC analysis, the biomarker panel of YWHAZ, stratifin, and hnRNPK achieved a sensitivity of 0.91 and a specificity of 0.95 (Table 8B and FIG. 6B) in discriminating OPLs from histological normal oral tissues.

Network Analysis.

To gain insight into the plausible biological processes in which these proteins might be involved, the inventors used the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis tools (Ingenuity Systems, Inc. software) and discovered two major networks (Table 15) in OPLs (the merged network is shown in FIG. 8C). To the best of the inventors' knowledge, ours is the first study reporting differential expressions of p37AUF1 and histoneH2B.1 in OPLs. These proteins and their cellular functions are listed in Table 11.

Without being bound by theory, the results obtained in the experiments of Examples 1-13 are discussed below:

Multidimensional LC-MS/MS has been used for the analysis of clinical samples of HNSCCs labeled with isobaric mass tags (iTRAQ) to identify proteins that are differentially expressed in head-and-neck cancer in relation to non-cancerous head-and-neck tissues. The expression ratios were consistent between the online and offline 2D LC-MS/MS methods used, demonstrating that the methodologies were rugged and reproducible, even though the conditions and details used in peptide elution from the SCX columns in the two methods were different. Expectedly, the numbers of proteins identified by the online analysis (431) was lower than those identified by the offline analysis (580), due to the lower capacity of the SCX cartridge used in the former (50 ng of total peptides versus up to 1 mg in the latter). However, the online analysis was advantageous in terms of shorter data acquisition time and lower amounts of total sample required.

Development of HNSCC is a multistep process that often involves field cancerization, a phenomenon in which not only the site of the primary tumor, but the entire mucosa of the upper aerodigestive tract, is prone to undergoing malignant transformation or progression at multiple sites (37). It is now evident that molecular changes underlying field cancerization are not localized to areas with altered histology, but may persist beyond the histological border of precancerous lesions; a large fraction of the carcinogen-exposed field may harbor molecular aberrations without presenting clinical or morphological symptoms (6 and references therein). Identification of proteins with altered expression as a manifestation of field cancerization is important in identification of biomarkers for prediction of risk of recurrence, as well as for development of second primary tumors in patients treated for HNSCC. Thus, the selection of normal controls for HNSCCs in a differential expression analysis, including the current study, is non-straightforward and requires careful planning.

To address this issue, the inventors have included two types of non-cancerous histologically confirmed normal tissues in the inventors' analysis: (1) noncancerous tissues obtained from HNSCC patients from a site distant to the tumor, and (2) normal tissues obtained from individuals with no evidence of cancer or pre-cancerous lesions. In a recent proteomic study, Roesch-Ely et al. (12) investigated changes in protein expressions occurring in different stages of tumorigenesis and field cancerization in HNSCCs. A number of reported differentially expressed proteins, including calgizarrin, stratifin, histone H4, and cystatin A, are also identified in this current study. This study appears to be the first reporting differential expression of calmodulin-like protein 5, polybromo-1D, APC-binding protein EB1, α-1-antitrypsin precursor, carbonic anhydrase I, mast cell tryptase β III, histone H2B.1, L-plastin, and peptidylprolyl isomerase A (PPIA) in HNSCC.

Among the differentially expressed proteins identified, no single protein emerged as a unique marker for HNSCC. However, a panel of three best-performing biomarkers YWHAZ, Stratifin and S100 A7 performed satisfactorily, as determined by both MS and immunohistochemistry on independent sets of samples. Significantly, YWHAZ has previously been identified by the inventors to be overexpressed in oral cancer at the mRNA level and has subsequently been verified using immunohistochemical analysis (38, 39). This serves as an independent validation of and complements the current results. Furthermore, YWHAZ has also been reported to be overexpressed in stomach cancer (40), and in breast and prostate tumor model systems (41, 42). More importantly, YWHAZ is not overexpressed in lung-cancer tissue samples (43), thus illustrating the fact that this protein can provide some selectivity in discriminating among different cancer types.

Stratifin has been reported to be overexpressed in HNSCC. A recent proteomic study reported a 3.6-fold straffin overexpression (44), thus corroborating the results obtained in this study. A second independent study also showed stratifin overexpression in the range of 2.8-9.1-fold in cancer samples (45). In addition, a study of 300 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma showed stratifin overexpression in 82% of primary infiltrating adenocarcinomas, while another 15% showed weak immunopositivity. Overexpression of stratifin correlated with poor prognosis (46). Interestingly and significantly, stratifin was reported to be down-regulated in HNSCCs by Roesch-Ely et al. (12), whereas the inventors observed consistent overexpression of stratifin in iTRAQ and in IHC verification analysis. The HNSCCs in the study of Roesch-Ely et al. (12) are from the German population with tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption being the major risk factors, while the clinical samples in this study, and in Lo et al. (15, 44) and Chen et al. (45) are from Asian populations, where in addition, chewing tobacco and/or betel quid, and bidi smoking are important risk factors. These differences in the risk factors may account for the observed variations in stratifin expression and warrant in-depth investigation in a larger study.

14-3-3 proteins recognize phosphoserine/threonine (pS/T)-containing motifs used by a variety of signal transduction pathways to bind over 200 target proteins that play important roles in the regulation of various cellular processes, including mitogenic and cell-survival signaling, cell-cycle control and apoptotic cell death, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and cell adhesion, invasion and metastasis (46). The involvement of 14-3-3 proteins in the regulation of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes points to a potential role in turmorigenesis (47); multiple pathways can be targeted by modulation of these proteins, underscoring their potential as candidate drug targets. Although it might be argued that 14-3-3 proteins are, therefore, too pleiotropic to be targets for therapeutic inhibition, it has been shown that simultaneous inactivation of all 14-3-3 proteins sensitizes cancer cells to DNA-damaging agents. Selective inactivation of stratifin leads to an increased sensitivity towards cancer chemotherapeutic agents. Recent studies have shown that stratifin forms homodimers, while YWHAZ forms homodimers and also heterodimers with other isoforms (48-50). Stratifin has been extensively investigated; by contrast, YWHAZ remains largely unexplored. It is noteworthy that the potential success of strategies aimed at modulating 14-3-3 availability in the cell for cancer therapy is provided in studies showing that reducing cellular 14-3-3 increases chemosensitivity (51, 52).

Cytokeratin 14 has also been demonstrated to be overexpressed in many squamous cell carcinomas. A study using immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that 67 of 74 cases of squamous cell carcinomas showed immunoreactivity regardless of origin, suggesting cytokeratin to be a useful marker for squamous cell carcinoma (53). Another study, comparing mRNA levels of cytokeratin 14 between oral squamous cell carcinoma and leukoplakia samples reported that the former showed a higher amount of cytokeratin 14 (54).

Prothymosin alpha, found to be overexpressed here in HNSCC, has recently been proposed to be a potential marker of proliferation in patients with thyroid cancer (55). This protein was implicated in various other cancers, including gastric, lung, liver, colon, and breast cancers (33-36, 56, 57). Prothymosin alpha was proposed to be a surrogate marker for the diagnosis of estrogen-negative breast-cancer cases (56), and a urinary marker for the detection and monitoring of bladder cancer (58). Prothymosin alpha expression has been observed in lymph nodes and tonsils (59). This expression in lymph nodes of HNSCC patients would correlate with locoregional spread of the disease and may be a determinant of disease prognosis. Prothymosin alpha is a small, highly acidic, nuclear protein that has been proposed to play a role in cell proliferation and immune regulation (60).

Protein changes related to cytoskeletal reorganization, cellular metabolism, and protein-protein interactions have been observed, based on which a model for its immunological mode of action has been proposed (60). Interestingly, some of the proteins identified in that study, such as L-plastin, HSP90, vinculin, aldolaseA, meosin, and galectin 3 are found to be overexpressed in the present study as well, although not all of them are included in Table 1.

L-plastin is expressed by hematopoetic cells and by most human cancer cell lines, including human submandibular gland cell lines (61, 62); yet, its functional importance in tumor tissues is controversial: its expression correlates with tumor progression in colon cancer, but not in breast cancer; in melanoma, L-plastin phosphorylation promotes tumor cell invasion (reviewed in 61). Intriguingly, L-plastin has also been proposed to represent a novel target for cancer therapy, and the constitutive activity of its promoter in non-hematopoetic tumors presents novel perspectives for cancer gene therapy using L-plastin promoter-driven viral vectors (61).

S100A7, a small calcium-binding protein of the S100 protein family, originally identified in psoriatic keratinocytes, is up-regulated in abnormally differentiating keratinocytes, squamous carcinomas of different organs, and in a subset of breast tumors (62-66). Incidentally, S100A7 was also identified in oral premalignant epithelia by microarray analysis and proposed to be a marker for invasion (63). It has been hypothesized to play a role in breast-tumor progression by promoting angiogenesis and enhancing the selection of cells that overcome their anti-invasive function (64). This hypothesis has also been suggested to explain why S100A7 expression is high in high-grade or estrogen-receptor negative tumors, as these are associated with increased hypoxia and reactive oxygen species (ROS), a scenario in which the angiogenic effects of S100A7 are most important.

It is noteworthy that increased hypoxia and ROS also occur in head-and-neck tumors and might explain the observed changes in S100A7 expression here. Another study in breast cancer showed that BRCA1 is a transcriptional repressor of S100A7. BRCA1 and c-Myc form a complex on S100A7 promoter, and BRCA1-mediated repression is dependent on a functional c-Myc (68). Furthermore, BRCA1 mutations in tumors abrogate the repression of S100A7. In the absence of BRCA1, S100A7 is induced by topoisomerase II poison and etoposide, as well as increases the cellular sensitivity to etoposide, suggesting a mechanism for BRCA1-mediated resistance to etoposide (68). Incidentally, BRCA1 alterations have been reported in head-and-neck cancer (69, 70). However, a correlation, if any, between BRCA1 alterations and S100A7 expression in head-and-neck cancer remains to be demonstrated.

Calgizzarin (S100 A11) has also been previously linked with cancer and was reported as a potential marker for head-and-neck cancer (18). Likewise, S100 A2, which shows overexpression in HNSCC is also known to be overexpressed in other forms of cancer, such as non-small cell lung cancer and uterine leiomyoma (71, 72). It has been demonstrated that calgizzarin plays an anti-apoptotic role in uterine leiomyosarcoma cell line (72). Fascin has been discovered to be an early marker for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (73). The inventors have previously reported pyruvate kinase M2 to be overexpressed in head-and-neck cancers (17, 21). Several studies suggest that PKM2 is present primarily in a dimeric form in tumors, and is useful as a biomarker in their early detection (74-78). PKM2 overexpression in tumor cells is explained on the basis of its key role in the generation of ATP in the glycolytic pathway. Under hypoxic conditions that are typical for tumors, this pathway is a critical route by which tumors satisfy the higher energy requirements needed for proliferation (reviewed in 79, 80).

Two of the more interesting proteins discovered in this current HNSCC study are the APC-binding protein EB1 and polybromo-1D. End-binding protein 1 (EB1) was initially discovered as a protein that binds adenomatous polyposis coli protein (APC) at its C-terminal region (81). More recently, however, it has also been shown to bind tubulin and has been detected to associate with the microtubules that form the mitotic spindle during mitosis (82).

The EB1 interaction with APC is of particular interest as APC is a tumor suppressor whose inactivation leads to a significantly enhanced level of susceptibility for malignant transformation in colorectal cancer (82). Among others, APC binds to β-catenin and possibly controls β-catenin's availability in the cytoplasm (82). By virtue of APC's binding to tubulin, EB1 participates in microtubule-dependent processes, including intracellular vesicle trafficking, organization of organelles within the cell, and even cell migration (82).

One possible proposed explanation for the mechanism of action of EB1, is that overexpression of EB1, at least in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, affects the interaction between APC and β-catenin, and that this overexpression correlates with the nuclear accumulation of β-catenin (82). Normally, APC in combination with glycogen synthase kinase 3P (GSK 3β) and axin forms a destruction complex that phosphorylates free β-catenin in the cytoplasm, which in turn targets it for ubiquitination and degradation (82). Disruption of APC interaction with β-catenin by EB 1 overexpression leads to increased levels of β-catenin in the nucleus, which in turn binds to T-cell factor/lymphoid-enhancing factor (TCF/LEF) and activates transcription of target genes such as c-myc and cyclin D1. Thus, the overexpression of EB1 is thought to play a role in the development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by indirectly causing the activation of the β-catenin/TCF pathway (83). It is, therefore, possible that overexpression of EB1 in this study could be the first evidence for the same process occurring in HNSCC.

Polybromo 1D (PB1), also known as BRG1-associated factor 180 (BAF180), is a relatively new member of the SWI/SNF-B (PBAF) chromatin remodeling complex that is a homolog of the yeast rsc protein complex, which is required for progression through mitosis (84). In fact, antibodies against BAF180 localize to the kinetochores during mitosis (84). The fact that both PB1 and EB1 are known to be involved with mitosis is also noteworthy, but requires further investigation to ascertain if a direct relationship between the two exists. Other studies have shown that in yeast, rsc can act as an activator as well as a suppressor of transcription, and that it can be functionally linked with the PKC pathway (85, 86).

Additionally, it was shown that temperature-sensitive mutants of one of the proteins (nps1) in the rsc complex, when placed at the restrictive temperature, can be rescued by the overexpression of not only the yeast homolog of PKC, PKC1 (as well as other proteins downstream of the PKC1 signal pathway), but also by Bim1p, which is the yeast homolog of EB1 (85). It was further demonstrated that there is no direct interaction between Pkc1p and Bim1p, or any activation of BIM1 transcription or post-transcriptional regulation by Pkc1p, but that suppression of the activity of overexpressed Pkc1p requires a functional Bim1p (85).

In addition to the possibility of this potentially significant link between PB1 and EB1, there is also independent evidence suggesting that PB1 is a tumor suppressor and that this activity is found in lung cancer but not in breast cancer (86). This was verified when transfection of BAF180 gene into breast tumor cell lines, possessing a truncated version of the same gene, resulted in growth inhibition (86). Other members of this complex that have been associated with cancer include hSNF5/INI1 and BRG1 itself. HSNF5/INI1 mutations have been found in malignant rhabdoid tumors, while mutations in BRG1 have been noted in various cell lines including carcinomas of the breast, lung, pancreas and prostate. Implication of other members of the PBAF complex in suppression of various cancers, in addition to the above evidence which suggests that PB1 may be a tumor suppressor itself, makes PB1 an exciting discovery in the inventors' study. In light of PB1's suggested tumor suppressor role, the presently observed lower expression of this protein in the HNSCC samples is consistent with expectations and warrants in-depth investigation of its role in head-and-neck tumorigenesis.

Thus, the use of iTRAQ-labeling of head-and-neck cancers combined with LCMS/MS has led to the discovery of several novel, differentially expressed proteins in these tumors. A panel of the three best-performing biomarkers achieved a sensitivity of 0.92 and a specificity of 0.91. This performance was verified using immunohistochemistry on a larger, independent set of clinical samples of HNSCCs.

The unique features of the OPL study are its prospective nature, the large number of patients in this type of disease setting, and the length of follow-up of leukoplakia and HNOSCC patients. Table 7 also shows the analysis of three histological normal samples used in a previous exercise to demonstrate consistency and validity over a period of six months (23). The number of OPLs examined in this study-six for the LC-MS/MS and 30 for subsequent verifications—was relatively modest, but was necessitated by the small number and size of OPL samples available. Nevertheless, the inventors successfully demonstrated the utility of iTRAQ-labeling of small OPL biopsy specimens and detection of a large number of expressed proteins that led to the discovery of a panel of candidate OPL biomarkers.

Replicate analyses demonstrated that the expression ratios were reproducible-82% were within 20% of the averages shown in Table 6. Differential expressions analyses of the proteomes between OPLs and histological normal oral tissues revealed 30 proteins that merit further examination and verification. A panel of three potential biomarkers selected by ROC analyses and two other biologically relevant proteins that had high AUC values were successfully verified to be overexpressed using an independent and larger set of OPLs and histological normal tissues by IHC and Western analyses, thus confirming findings of the iTRAQ analyses. In addition, RT-PCR analyses showed increased levels of transcripts for all five proteins, suggesting that the increased protein expressions were due to upregulation at the transcriptional level.

The inventors' approach enabled identifying in oral premalignant lesions a large number of proteins, including mediators of inflammatory response, redox system, proteases, chaperones, transcriptional regulators, calcium binding proteins, metabolic enzymes, and proteins involved in cell proliferation and growth, intermediary metabolism, signal transduction, cell cycle regulation, cell death, cell motility and cell morphology. Pathway analyses unraveled important novel links between inflammation and cancer. Importantly, it showed direct interaction between all the three proteins-YWHAZ, stratifin and hnRNPK—that constitute the panel of OPL biomarkers (87). The mechanism involved in upregulation of YWHAZ and stratifin in OPLs remains unknown.

hnRNPK is an RNA-binding protein that regulates gene expression at both transcriptional and translational levels (88, 89). Therefore, the inventors speculate that hnRNPK may be involved in regulation of YWHAZ and stratifin in OPLs. The data analysis also suggests that hnRNPK directly regulates the expression of COX2, enzyme implicated in the synthesis of prostaglandins, which are mediators of the inflammatory response. The inventors' earlier in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that COX-2 activation and NF-kB overexpression are parallel events occurring in early precancerous stages of tobacco-associated oral carcinogenesis and these events remain elevated down the tumorigenic pathway (90), while others demonstrated a role for 14-3-3 proteins in the nuclear export of p65-Iκβ-alpha complexes (91) and the role of 14-3-3 in phosphorylation of beta-catenin by AKT that promotes beta-catenin transcriptional activity (92) as well as in apoptosis and cell adhesion emphasizing the oncogenic character of 14-3-3 zeta (YWHAZ) (93). Tobacco carcinogens, including tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNA), 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), appear to activate these proteins involved in the inflammatory response of epithelial cells and initiation of the carcinogenic cascade.

The other important links identified are regulation of NF-kB by SERPINA1 and phosphatidyl ethanolamine binding protein 1 (PEBP1). SERPINA1 has been shown to reduce the activation of NF-kB; decrease in SERPINA1 levels in OPLs may partly account for activated NF-kB in OPLs. Pathway analyses also showed, for the first time, that deregulation of calcium-associated proteins (cystatin B, FABP5, and S100A7) and mitochondrial dysfunction (SOD2) may play an important role in the development of OPLs. Importantly, YWHAZ was found to directly interact with nucleophosmin (NPM1), an important protein involved in increased cellular proliferation, and with HSP90B1, which has been reported to increase the activity of ERK. HSP90B1, YWHAZ, nucleophosmin1, parathymosin (PTMS), SOD2, and PEBP1 are all involved in the inhibition of apoptosis.

Furthermore, HSP90B1, SOD2, and stratifin are associated with increased cell viability. Increased expressions of hnRNPK, PTHA, stratifin, SOD2 and nucleophosmin1, and reduced expression of DLC1, play a role in hyperproliferation of cells. Increased cell proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis are two hallmarks of cancer, and the inventors' data suggest that both events are occurring in early, premalignant stages. Alterations in cytoskeleton are important events in tumorigenesis; deregulation of YWHAZ and its interaction with MARCKs, beta actin and tubulin identified herein suggest the implication of cytoskeletal reorganization in development of oral dysplasias.

It is noteworthy that invasion is an important event in the progression of dysplasia as well as of cancer, and five proteins identified in the inventors' study-underexpressions of DLC1, IGHG1 and FABP5, and overexpressions of S100A7 and PEBP1—are all involved in cell invasion. Significantly, this is the first report of p37AUF1 (hnRNPD) expression in OPLs, and pathway analyses suggest its potential interaction with stratifin and scaffold protein b (SAFB). PEBP1 is oncogenic, while FABP5 and SERPINA1 are metastatic. Taken together, the discovery of these alterations in OPLs suggests that these proteins may be associated with the potential of malignant transformation. The findings herein certainly warrant additional validation; elucidation of functional significance in future studies will provide further insight into the biology of development and progression of OPLs.

None of the aforementioned proteins can be classified individually as specific biomarkers for OPLs. However, a panel of the three best-performing biomarkers: YWHAZ, stratifin, and hnRNPK confer satisfactory performance. The current study clearly demonstrates overexpression of YWHAZ in OPLs, suggesting its involvement in early stages of oral carcinogenesis. Mechanistically, YWHAZ overexpression increases p53 protein degradation via hyperactivation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)—Akt signaling pathway that phosphorylates MDM2 (92-95). Replacement of p53 leads to luminal cell apoptosis. YWHAZ is known to be involved in diverse cellular processes, many of which are deregulated in HNOSCCs (39). The inventors' ongoing studies on functional analysis of YWHAZ in oral cancer cells have also shown its involvement in the activation of PI3K—Akt signaling pathway and cytoskeletal reorganization (data not shown).

Stratifin, another member of the 14-3-3 protein family, was overexpressed in OPLs and emerged as one of the best-performing potential biomarkers. The inventors' present data suggest that the increase in stratifin expression is an early event in the development of cancer. Importantly, their recent proteomic analysis showed overexpression of stratifin in HNOSCCs (23); underscoring its importance in head-and-neck tumorigenesis (87). Interestingly and significantly, stratifin was reported to be down-regulated in HNSCCs by Roesch-Ely et al., (12), whereas the inventors observed consistent overexpression of stratifin in iTRAQ and in IHC verification analyses. The HNSCCs in the study of Roesch-Ely et al. (12) were from the German population with tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption being the major risk factors; while the clinical samples in this study, and in Lo et al. (44), were from Asian populations, where in addition, chewing tobacco and/or betel quid, bidi smoking and HPV infection are important risk factors. In support of these observations, Bhawal et al., (96) reported that hypermethylation of stratifin promoter is not a frequent event in HNSCC. Moreover, IKK alpha, a catalytic subunit of the IKK complex, has been shown to protect the stratifin locus from hypermethylation; this function serves to maintain genomic stability in keratinocytes.

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K protein (hnRNPK), identified by iTRAQ analysis and verified by IHC in OPLs, is an interesting protein that has been strongly implicated as a key player of tumorigenesis (87) hnRNPK is overexpressed, aberrantly localized, and associated with poor prognosis in colorectal cancer (88), while its transcriptional upregulation was reported in OSCC (89). In view of a role of hnRNPK as a transformation-related protein, its overexpression in OPLs is an important finding; in-depth studies are warranted to establish its link, if any, with transformation potential of OPLs.

Prothymosin alpha (PTHA), overexpressed in a subset of OPLs, has been proposed to be a proliferation marker in patients with thyroid cancer (55). This protein was implicated in various other cancers, including gastric, lung, liver, colon, and breast cancers (33-36, 55-60). S100A7, a small calcium-binding protein, is upregulated in abnormally differentiating keratinocytes, squamous carcinomas of different organs, and in a subset of breast tumors (65, 67). S100A7 has been identified in oral premalignant epithelia by microarray analysis and proposed to be a marker for invasion (66). It is postulated to play a role in breast-tumor progression in association with increased hypoxia and reactive oxygen species (ROS) by promoting angiogenesis (67). Increased hypoxia and ROS also occur in OPLs and HNOSCCs, and might explain the observed changes in S100A7 expression here. Reciprocal negative regulation between S100A7 and β-catenin signaling has been shown to play an important role in tumor progression of OSCC.

Thus, proteomic analyses of OPLs revealed the integrated importance of alterations in multiple cellular processes and suggested novel links between inflammation and premalignancy, some of which may serve as potential chemopreventive/therapeutic targets. Validation of the panel of OPL biomarkers in larger studies will ascertain its clinical utility and long-term patient follow up will evaluate the potential of these biomarkers for predicting the risk of malignant transformation in OPLs.

Example 14 Tissues

Following institutional human ethics committee approval, 51 anonymized HNOSCCs and 39 non-malignant head-and-neck tissues dating from 2002 and 2006 were retrieved from the Research Tissue Bank at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. The tissue specimens, surgically resected human HNOSCCs and non-malignant tissues (taken from a distant site) had been collected from patients undergoing curative surgery (with prior written patient consents). After excision, tissues were immediately snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at −80° C. in the Research Tissue Bank. One piece from each patient was collected in 10% formalin and embedded in paraffin for histopathological analysis; the rest was banked. Clinical and pathological data were recorded in a pre-designed performa; these included clinical TNM staging (tumor, node, and metastasis classification of malignant tumors of the International Union Against Cancer (UICC)) (97), site of the lesion, histopathological differentiation, age, and gender.

Example 15 Follow-Up Study

Fifty-one HNOSCC patients who underwent treatment of primary HNOSCC between 2002 and 2006 were investigated and evaluated in the head-and-neck cancer follow-up clinic. Survival status of the patients was verified and regularly updated from the records of the Tumor Registry, Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, as of May, 2007. Patients were monitored for a maximum period of 42 months. As per the hospital protocol, HNOSCC patients with T₁ and T₂ tumors were treated with radical radiotherapy or surgery alone, whereas the majority of patients with T₃ and T₄ diseases were treated using a combination of radical surgery followed by postoperative radical radiotherapy. The patients were revisited clinically on a regular basis and the time to recurrence was recorded. If a patient died, the survival time was censored at the time of death; the medical history, clinical examination, and radiological evaluation were used to determine whether the death had resulted from recurrent cancer (relapsing patients) or from any other cause.

Disease-free survivors were defined as patients free from clinical and radiological evidence of local, regional, or distant relapse at the time of the last follow-up. Loco-regional relapse/death was observed in 17 of 51 (30%) patients monitored in this study. Thirty-four patients who did not show recurrence were alive until the end of the follow-up period. Only disease-free survival was evaluated in the present study, as the number of deaths due to disease progression did not allow a reliable statistical analysis. Disease-free survival was expressed as the number of months from the date of surgery to the loco-regional relapse.

Example 16 Immunohistochemistry

Paraffin-embedded sections (5 μm thick) of human oral normal tissues (n=39) and HNOSCCs (n=51) were collected on gelatin-coated slides. For histopathological analysis, representative sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, whereas immunostaining was performed on serial sections as described previously (23, 98). Briefly, the sections were deparaffinized in xylene, hydrated, and pretreated in a microwave oven in citrate buffer (0.01 M (pH=6.0)) for antigen retrieval. The sections were incubated with hydrogen peroxide (0.3% v/v) in methanol for 20 min to quench the endogenous peroxidase activity. Non-specific binding was blocked with 1% bovine serum albumin (BSA) in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, 0.01 M, pH=7.2) for 1 h. Thereafter, slides were incubated with the primary antibody, (1 μg/ml) (anti-14-3-3σ, goat polyclonal antibody, Santa Cruz Biotechnology Inc., Santa Cruz, Calif.) for 16 h at 4° C. and washed with PBS. The primary antibody was detected using the streptavidin-biotin complex (Dako LSAB plus kit, Dako, Copenhagen, Denmark) and diaminobenzidine as the chromogen. All incubations were performed at room temperature in a moist chamber. Slides were washed with 3× Tris-buffered saline (TBS, 0.1 M, pH=7.4) after every step. Finally, the sections were counterstained with Mayer's hematoxylin and mounted with DPX mountant. In negative controls, the primary antibody was replaced by non-immune mouse IgG of the same isotype to ensure specificity.

Example 17 Positive Criteria for Immunohistochemical Staining

Immunopositive staining was evaluated in five areas of the tissue section. For stratifin expression, sections were scored as positive if epithelial cells showed immunopositivity in the cytoplasm, plasma membrane, and/or nucleus as evaluated by two independent scorers blinded to the clinical outcome (the slides were coded and the scorers did not have prior knowledge of the local tumor burden, lymphonodular spread, and grading of the tissue samples). These sections were rated based on the percentage of cells showing immunopositivity as follows: 0, <10%; 1, 10-30%; 2, 30-50%; 3, 50-70%; and 4, >70%. Sections were also rated on the basis of stain intensity as follows: 0, none; 1, mild; 2, moderate; 3, intense, as described by Perathoner et al. (99). Finally, a total score (ranging from 0 to 7) was obtained by adding the scores of percentage positivity and intensity. The sections were considered positive if the total score was ≧5 (23).

Example 18 Cell Culture

Human oral squamous carcinoma cell line, HSC2, was used in this study. Cells were grown in monolayer cultures in Dulbecco's modified eagle medium (DMEM-F12) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS, Sigma-Aldrich, Mo.), 100 g/ml streptomycin and 100 U/ml Penicillin in a humidified incubator (5% carbon-dioxide, 95% air) at 37° C. as described (23).

Example 19 Co-Immunoprecipitation

Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays were carried out as described earlier (100). Briefly, oral cancer cells, HSC2, were rinsed in ice-cold PBS and lysed in lysis buffer. Lysates were incubated on ice for 30 min and cell debris was removed by centrifugation. Lysates were pre-cleared by adding 20:1 of Protein A-Sepharose (GE Healthcare Biosciences, Sweden), followed by overnight incubation with polyclonal stratifin, YWHAZ, and NFκB antibodies, or monoclonal β-catenin and Bcl-2 antibodies (1:200 dilution) (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, CA) on a rocker at 4° C. Immunocomplexes were pulled down by incubating with Protein A-Sepharose for 2 h at 4° C., followed by washing with 4× ice-cold lysis buffer to eliminate non-specific interactions. In negative controls, the primary antibody was replaced by non-immune mouse IgG of the same isotype to ensure specificity. Protein A-Sepharose-bound immunocomplexes were then resuspended in Laemelli sample buffer (10 mM Tris, 10% v/v glycerol, 2% w/v SDS, 5 mM EDTA, 0.02% bromophenol blue, and 6% β-mercaptoethanol, pH=7.4), boiled for 5 min, and analyzed by Western blotting using specific antibodies.

The proteins were electro-transferred onto polyvinylidenedifluoride (PVDF) membrane. After blocking with 5% non-fat powdered milk in TBS (0.1 M, pH=7.4), blots were incubated with anti-14-3-3a antibody (1:200 dilution) at 4° C. overnight. alpha-Tubulin served as a control for protein loading and was determined with mouse monoclonal anti-alpha-tubulin antibody (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Santa Cruz, Calif.). Membranes were incubated with secondary antibody, HRP-conjugated goat/mouse anti-IgG (Dako CYTOMATION, Denmark), diluted at an appropriate dilution in 1% BSA, for 2 h at room temperature. After each step, blots were washed with 3× Tween (0.2%)-TBS (TTBS). Protein bands were detected by the enhanced chemiluminescence method (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, CA) on XO-MAT film.

Example 20 Statistical Analysis

The immunohistochemical data were subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS 10.0 software. The relationship between the protein expression and clinicopathological parameters were tested by Chi-Square and Fischer's exact test. Two sided p-values were calculated and p≦0.05 was considered to be significant. Box plots were prepared to determine the distribution of total score of stratifin expression in HNOSCCs and non-malignant tissues. The correlation of stratifin and or YWHAZ staining with patient survival was evaluated using life tables constructed from survival data with Kaplan-Meier plots.

Provided below is a summary of the results obtained by the inventors in connection with the experiments of Examples 14-20:

To determine the clinical significance of stratifin and YWHAZ in head-and-neck tumorigenesis, their expressions were analyzed in HNOSCCs (51 cases) and non-malignant tissues (39 cases) using immunohistochemistry. Significant increase in stratifin expression was observed in the HNOSCCs as compared to the non-malignant mucosa (p=0.03, Odd's Ratio (OR)=3.8, 95% CI=1.6-9.2). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis reveals correlation of stratifin overexpression with reduced disease-free survival of HNOSCC patients (p=0.06). The most intriguing finding is the significant decrease in median disease-free survival (13 months) in HNOSCC patients showing overexpression of both stratifin and YWHAZ proteins, as compared to patients that did not show overexpression of these proteins (median disease-free survival=38 months, p=0.019), underscoring their utility as adverse prognosticators for HNOSCCs. Co-immunoprecipitation assays show the formation of stratifin-YWHAZ heterodimers in HNOSCC and interactions with NFκB, β-catenin, and Bcl-2 proteins. These results indicate the involvement of these proteins in the development of head-and-neck cancer and their association with adverse disease outcome. The amino acid sequences of stratifin and YWHAZ with peptides identified by MS and MS/MS are given in FIGS. 9A and 9B, respectively.

Immunohistochemical Analysis of Stratifin in HNOSCCs and Non-Malignant Tissues.

Results of the immunohistochemical analysis of stratifin expression in HNOSCCs and non-malignant mucosa, and the relationship with clinicopathological parameters are summarized in Table 8. Chi-Square analysis shows significant increase in stratifin expression in HNOSCCs as compared to non-malignant mucosa (p=0.03, OR=3.8, 95% CI=1.6-9.2). In histologically normal oral tissues, 31% of the cases show weak immunostaining of stratifin (FIG. 10 a). Increased stratifin expression was observed in 63% of HNOSCCs. Intense nuclear/membranous staining, in addition to cytoplasmic staining, was observed in the epithelial cells of HNOSCCs (FIG. 10 b). No immunostaining was observed in tissue sections used as negative controls where the primary antibody was replaced by isotype specific IgG (FIG. 10 c). No significant correlation was observed between stratifin overexpression and clinicopathological parameters including age, gender, histological differentiation, tumor stage, and nodal status of HNOSCCs (Table 8). Increased expressions of stratifin were observed in HNOSCCs with a median score of 6 (range 4-7) as compared to non-malignant (histologically normal) oral tissues median score of 5 (range 4-6) shown in the box plot analysis in FIG. 11.

Co-Immunoprecipitation.

To determine the functional significance of stratifin in head-and-neck carcinogenesis, the inventors identified its binding partners in oral cancer cells, HSC2, using co-IP assays followed by Western blotting. IP of stratifin reveals its binding to YWHAZ NFκB, β-catenin, and Bcl-2 proteins as shown in FIG. 12 a. Reverse IP assay using specific antibodies for these proteins followed by Western blotting confirmed their binding to stratifin (FIG. 12 b). No band was observed in the immunoblot analysis of the negative controls. It is noteworthy that all these proteins—stratifin, YWHAZ, NFκB, β-catenin and Bcl-2—have 14-3-3 binding motif, Mode 1, as previously reported by the inventors (39).

Association of Stratifin and YWHAZ Expression with Disease Outcome.

Kaplan-Meier Survival analysis reveals reduced disease-free survival for HNOSCC patients overexpressing stratifin (p=0.06, FIG. 13 a). The median disease-free survival was 19 months in HNOSCC patients showing stratifin overexpression as compared to 38 months in HNOSCC patients who did not. Patients with YWHAZ-positive tumors had a shorter disease-free survival (median=23 months) than YWHAZ-negative tumors (median=35 months; p=0.08, FIG. 13 b). Most remarkably, HNOSCC patients showing overexpressions of both stratifin and YWHAZ have a significantly decreased median disease-free survival of 13 months (p=0.019, FIG. 13 c) in HNOSCCs, as compared to patients showing no overexpression of these two proteins (median=38 months), underscoring the utility of these proteins as adverse prognosticators for HNOSCCs.

Without being bound by theory, the results obtained in the experiments of Examples 14-20 are discussed below:

This investigation is one of the very few studies that demonstrate the prognostic utility of candidate biomarkers identified using MS-based proteomics. Recently, a comparison of protein profiles in tumor-distant head-and-neck tissues with clinical outcomes was reported to reveal a significant association between aberrant profiles and tumor-relapse events, suggesting that proteomic profiling in conjunction with protein identification may have significant predictive power for clinical outcome (12). The concept of using a panel of biomarkers for the purpose of improved diagnostics has taken hold in recent years. For example, DeSouza et al. (21) and Dubé et al. (101) demonstrated that the use of a panel of three biomarkers-chaperonin 10, pyruvate kinase M2, and α-1-antitrypsin-markedly increases the sensitivity and specificity for differentiating between endometrial carcinoma and non-malignant endometrial tissues. For head-and-neck cancers, Example 1 determined that a panel of biomarkers-stratifin, YWHAZ, and S100 A7-performs better than any of the individual biomarkers for the detection of HNOSCC (23). In this current study, it is found that a panel of two biomarkers-stratifin and YWHAZ-shows promise as prognostic markers for HNOSCCs. Although not wishing to be bound by any particular theory, the enhanced performance of the combination of stratifin and YWHAZ versus either protein individually, in prognosing the clinical outcome of HNOSCCs, can be understood on the basis of their biological functions detailed below.

Results of in vitro studies demonstrate the formation of stratifin-YWHAZ heterodimers and binding of stratifin to NFκB, β-catenin, and Bcl-2, implicating stratifin's involvement in many cellular processes associated with tumorigenesis. Similar to the present invention, Bhawal et al. (96) have very recently reported increased expression of the stratifin transcript and protein in OSCCs. These results are in accordance with findings of Chen et al. (45) and Lo et al. (15, 44) who reported overexpression of stratifin in OSCCs. In addition, Lo et al. (15) demonstrated ten-fold increases in stratifin expression in HPV18-positive OSCCs in comparison with HPV18-negative OSCCs. It is of note that all these studies are on Asian populations. By contrast, studies on European populations reported decreased expression of stratifin in HNSCCs (12). If this geographical difference stands up to further scrutiny, it points to the importance of genetic and/or risk factors in developing HNOSCCs. Furthermore, epigenetic inactivation of stratifin has been shown to be associated with p16 gene silencing and HPV negativity in OSCCs (102). Thus these results suggest different mechanisms at work in HNOSCC tumorigenesis exhibiting overexpression of stratifin and tumorigenesis that does not. Whether these different mechanisms can be attributed to the presence or absence of HPV infection and/or differences in risk factors, such as smoking and drinking in the European and Western populations, and chewing of betel quid and/or tobacco in the Asian population, remains to be determined.

Overexpression of stratifin has been observed in other human cancers. Perathoner et al. (99) suggested that stratifin overexpression promotes tumor proliferation and/or prevents apoptotic signal transduction in colorectal carcinoma. Samuel et al. (103) demonstrated the role of stratifin in prevention of apoptosis by influencing the sub-cellular distribution of the pro-apoptotic protein, Bax, in colorectal cancer cells. Deletion of stratifin has been correlated with increased sensitivity of colorectal cells to doxorubicin. Similarly, Guweidhi et al. (104) proposed an anti-apoptotic role for stratifin in pancreatic cancer cells by inhibiting bad-mediated apoptosis. Liu et al. (105) showed that elevated stratifin expression contributes considerably to the observed drug resistance in MCF7/AdVp3000 cells. Stratifin has been shown to be a pivotal MDM2 regulator, involved in blocking a variety of MDM2 activities, including MDM2-mediated cytoplasmic localization of p53. Stratifin overexpression leads to destabilization of MDM2 by enhancing its self-ubiquitination and, thereby, stabilizing the cellular p53 (106). In previous studies, the inventors reported that p53 mutations are infrequent in OSCCs in the Indian population, despite stratifin overexpression; a currently unknown mechanism must be involved in stabilizing p53 in these OSCC patients (107, 108). The present inventors have also reported overexpression of MDM2 and cyclinD1 in OSCCs (109). Investigation of the relationship between stratifin overexpression, p53 stabilization, MDM2 and cyclinD1 expressions in HNOSCCs is currently underway.

The inventors, in a recent study aimed at delineation of early changes in expression of proteins in hyperplasia, demonstrated increased expressions of NFκB and COX-2 in early pre-malignant stages of the development of oral cancer and sustained elevation along the tumorigenic pathway (90). Furthermore, increased expression of YWHAZ in different stages of the development of OSCC and YWHAZ's involvement in cell signaling pathways involved in inflammation, cell proliferation and abrogation of apoptosis during oral carcinogenesis (39) was shown. Herein the inventors extend these findings by demonstrating the binding of stratifin with YWHAZ, thus suggesting the formation of stratifin-YWHAZ heterodimers and binding to NF-kB in oral cancer. These findings are supported by the study of Aguilera et al. (91) which showed the requirement of 14-3-3 proteins for efficient export of the p65 sub-unit of NF-kB. Taken together with the inventors' earlier findings of YWHAZ it is hypothesized that 14-3-3 proteins may be an important link between chronic inflammation and cancer that warrants further investigation.

The Co-IP results show stratifin binding also with β-catenin and Bcl-2 proteins. Earlier, the inventors showed that these proteins interact with YWHAZ thereby supporting the hypothesis that these complexes may be responsible for altered functions of stratifin. Fang et al. (92) recently showed that AKT, which is activated downstream from epidermal growth factor receptor signaling, phosphorylates β-catenin at Ser-552 in vitro and in vivo, causing its dissociation from cell-cell contacts and accumulation in both the cytosol and nucleus, and enhancing its interaction with YWHAZ via a binding motif containing Ser-552. This phosphorylation of β-catenin by AKT increases β-catenin's transcriptional activity and promotes tumor cell invasion, indicating that AKT-dependent regulation of β-catenin plays a critical role in tumor invasion and development. The oncogenic role of YWHAZ has been proposed in a recent study using siRNA for knocking down its expression in cancer cells (93). Down-regulation of YWHAZ sensitizes cells to stress—induced apoptosis and JNK/p38 signaling; in addition, it enforces cell-cell contacts and expression of adhesion proteins. YWHAZ's oncogenic properties is also supported by a Web-based meta-analysis (Onco-mine) that reveals its overexpression in various types of carcinomas (39, 93). To unravel the functional significance of 14-3-3 proteins in tumor development, the present inventors have investigated the functional significance of the interactions between stratifin and YWHAZ, and their respective roles in the development and progression of HNOSCC. All indications are that targeting specific 14-3-3 isoforms may serve as a plausible strategy for cancer therapy.

Hence, stratifin is overexpressed in HNOSCCs relative to normal tissues. Increased concomitant expression of stratifin and YWHAZ serves as adverse prognosticator in HNOSCCs and underscores the importance of these proteins in head-and-neck tumorigenesis. Increased expression of stratifin forming stratifin-YWHAZ heterodimers and binding to NFκB, β-catenin, and Bcl-2 proteins suggest the implication of these complexes in diverse cellular processes in head-and-neck carcinogenesis. It is submitted that targeting the stratifin-YWHAZ heterodimer, using small molecule modulator/peptide inhibitor that intervenes with 14-3-3 client protein interactions, would serve as a plausible therapeutic strategy for head-and-neck cancer.

Example 21 Patients and Clinicopathological Data Collection and Tumor and Biopsy Specimens

The Institutional Human Ethics Committee of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India, approved this study prior to its commencement. Tissue specimens were obtained from diagnostic or therapeutic procedures from 199 patients with oral leukoplakia (with no dysplasia (n=115) or with dysplasia (n=84) (Table 9A)) attending the Outpatient Clinic of the Departments of Surgical Disciplines and Otolaryngology, AIIMs, and from 100 HNOSCC patients undergoing curative cancer surgery during the period 2002-2007, after obtaining patient consents. Wherever possible non-malignant tissues (n=30) were taken from a site distant from the surgically resected HNOSCC patients. Non-malignant normal oral tissues (n=25) were also collected from the patients attending the Outpatient Department of Dental Surgery for tooth extraction. Taken together, these 55 non-malignant oral tissues with histological evidence of normal epithelium constituted the normal group. After excision, tissues were immediately snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at −80° C. in the Research Tissue Bank till further use; one part of the tissue was collected in 10% formalin and embedded in paraffin for histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses.

The histopathological assessment scoring was based on the architectural and cytological changes of grading epithelial dysplasia described in the WHO classification and recently reviewed (3). For each case, the pathologist recorded the grade and details of the criteria on which the decision was based. Leukoplakic lesions were classified into two groups: (a) lesions with no dysplasia, (b) lesions with dysplasia.

Histologically confirmed oral normal epithelia, leukoplakia with evidence of no dysplasia or with dysplasia, and HNOSCCs as revealed by H&E staining were used for immunohistochemistry (32). Patient demographic, clinical, and pathological data were recorded in a pre-designed form as described previously (32). The information documented included clinical TNM staging (tumor, node, metastasis based on the Union International Center le Cancer TNM classification of malignant tumors 1998), site of the lesion, histopathological differentiation, age, gender, and tobacco consumption habits.

Example 22 Follow-Up Study

One hundred patients with oral leukoplakia who underwent treatment between 2002-2005 were followed up in the head-and-neck follow-up clinic at regular time intervals with the maximum follow-up period included in this study being 36 months. All small leukoplakic lesions (size < or =4×4 cm) were completely excised, while incisional biopsy was done for the large diffuse lesions (size >4×4 cm). The patients were followed every six months, and the status of each lesion was defined and recorded using following the criteria: (a) static: if it was within ±2 mm size on the largest diameter; (B) progressed: if it had grown more than 2 mm from the original (size of the residuam, if partially excised); and (c) regressed: if it was reduced in size by more than 2 mm from the original residuam. For the lesions that were excised completely-disease progression was defined as development of a new lesion after excision of the primary lesion at the same site, or at another site in the oral cavity. The lesions that had progressed as per the above mentioned criteria were re-biopsied and leukoplakic lesions with dysplasia were excised.

Seventy-seven HNOSCC patients who underwent treatment from 2002-2007 were also investigated and evaluated in the head-and-neck cancer follow-up clinic at regular time intervals. Survival status of the HNOSCC patients was verified and updated from the records of the Tumor Registry, Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, AIIMs, as of May 2008. HNOSCC patients were monitored for a maximum period of 76 months. As per the hospital protocol, HNOSCC patients with T₁ and T₂ tumors were treated with radical radiotherapy or surgery alone, whereas the majority of patients with T₃ and T₄ diseases were treated by radical surgery followed by postoperative radical radiotherapy. The patients were revisited clinically on a regular basis and the time to recurrence was recorded.

If a patient died, the survival time was censored at the time of death; the medical history, clinical examination, and radiological evaluation were used to determine whether the death had resulted from recurrent cancer (relapsing patients) or from any other causes. Disease-free survivors were defined as patients free from clinical and radiological evidence of local, regional, or distant relapse at the time of the last follow-up. Loco-regional relapse/death was observed in 61 of 77 (79%) patients monitored during the follow-up. Sixteen patients who did not show recurrence were alive until the end of the follow-up period. Only disease-free survival was evaluated in the present study, as the number of deaths due to disease progression did not allow a reliable statistical analysis. Disease-free survival was expressed as the number of months from the date of surgery to loco-regional relapse.

Example 23 Immunohistochemistry

Paraffin-embedded sections (5 μm) of human oral non-malignant tissues (n=55), leukoplakic lesions (with no dysplasia (n=115) or with dysplasia (n=84)) and HNOSCCs (n=100) were collected on gelatin-coated slides. Immunohistochemistry conditions were optimized and evaluated by three of the inventors. In brief, the sections were deparaffinized in xylene, hydrated in gradient alcohol, and pretreated in a microwave oven for 10 min in Tris-EDTA buffer (0.01 M, pH=9) for antigen retrieval. The sections were incubated with hydrogen peroxide (0.3% v/v) in methanol for 30 min to quench the endogenous peroxidase activity, followed by blocking with 1% bovine serum albumin (BSA) to preclude nonspecific binding. Thereafter, the slides were incubated with mouse monoclonal anti-hnRNPK antibody (1 μg/ml, ab23644, Abcam Inc., Cambridge, Mass.) for 16 h at 4° C. The primary antibody was detected using the streptavidin-biotin complex with the Dako LSAB plus kit (Dako CYTOMATION, Glostrup, Denmark) and diaminobenzidine as the chromogen (25). All procedures were carried out at room temperature unless otherwise specified. Slides were washed with Tris-buffered saline (TBS, 0.1 M, pH=7.4), 3-5 times after every step. Finally, the sections were counterstained with Mayer's hematoxylin and mounted with D.P.X. mountant. In the negative control tissue sections, the primary antibody was replaced by isotype-specific non-immune mouse IgG. A section from colorectal cancer tissue was used as a positive control in each batch of immunohistochemistry. The sections were evaluated by light microscopic examination.

Example 24 Evaluation of Immunohistochemical Staining

Each slide was evaluated for hnRNPK immunoreactivity using a semiquantitative scoring system for both staining intensity and the percentage of positive epithelial cells. Immunopositive staining was evaluated in randomly selected five areas of the tissue section. For hnRNPK protein expression, sections were scored as positive if epithelial cells showed immunopositivity in the nucleus/cytoplasm when observed independently by three of the inventors, who were blinded to the clinical outcome. (The slides were coded and the scorers did not have prior knowledge of the local tumor burden, lymphonodular spread, and grading of the tissue samples.) The tissue sections were scored based on the % of immunostained cells as: 0-10%=0; 10-30%=1; 30-50%=2; 50-70%=3 and 70-100%=4. Sections were also scored semi-quantitatively on the basis of staining intensity as negative=0; mild=1; moderate=2; intense=3 (17). Finally, a total score was obtained by adding the score of percentage positivity and intensity.

Example 25 Statistical Analyses

The immunohistochemical data were subjected to statistical analyses using the SPSS 10.0 software (Chicago). Sensitivity and specificity were calculated and quantified using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. The predictive value (PV) describes the proportion of correctly classified cases. Based on sensitivity and specificity values for hnRNPK, a cutoff≧5 was defined as positive criterion for hnRNPK immunopositivity for statistical analyses. The relationships between hnRNPK protein expression and clinicopathologic parameters were tested using Chi-Square and Fischer's exact test. Two-sided p values were calculated and p<0.05 was considered to be significant.

For the follow-up study of 100 leukoplakia cases, let T denote the failure time, i.e., the first time the progression is diagnosed after excision of the leukoplakic lesions. For these data, the positive and negative predictive values as functions of time are defined as follows:

PV_(nuclear)(t)=Prob(T≦t AND Progression|hnRNPK(nuclear)≧5);

PV_(nuclear)(t)=Prob(T>t OR No Progression|hnRNPK(nuclear)<5);

0≦t≦36,

and, analogously, for cytoplasmic hnRNPK. Similarly, PPV and NPV were calculated for recurrence in HNOSCCs (where t runs from 0 to 76 months). These probabilities are estimated from the observed accumulated incidences over the respective time periods. The correlation of hnRNPK staining with patient survival was evaluated using life tables constructed from survival data with Kaplan-Meier plots.

Example 26 Immunoblot Analysis of hnRNPK in Oral Tissues

Whole-cell lysates were prepared from oral non-malignant, leukoplakia and HNOSCC tissues by homogenization in lysis buffer containing 50 mM Tris-Cl (pH=7.5), 150 mM NaCl, 10 mM MgCl₂, 1 mM ethylenediamine tetraacetate (EDTA, pH=8.0), 1% Nonidet P-40, 100 mM sodium fluoride, 1 mM phenylmethylene sulfonylfluoride (PMSF) and 2 μl/ml protease inhibitor cocktail (Sigma) as previously described (32). Protein concentration was determined using the Bradford reagent (Sigma) and equal amounts of proteins (80 μg/lane) were resolved on 10% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel. The proteins were then electro-transferred onto polyvinylidenedifluoride (PVDF) membrane. After blocking with 5% non-fat powdered milk in Tris-buffered saline (TBS, 0.1 M, pH=7.4), blots were incubated with anti-hnRNPK monoclonal antibody (1 μl/ml, Abcam Inc., Cambridge, Mass.) at 4° C. overnight. Protein abundance of actin (goat polyclonal antibody, Santa Cruz Biotechnology, CA) served as a control for protein loading in each lane. Membranes were incubated with HRP-conjugated anti-mouse/goat secondary antibody, G (DAKO Cytomation, Glostrup, Denmark), diluted at an appropriate dilution in 1% BSA, for 2 h at room temperature. After each step, blots were washed three times with Tween (0.1%)-Tris-buffer saline (TTBS). Protein bands were detected by the enhanced chemiluminescence method (ECL, Santa Cruz Biotechnology, CA) on XO-MAT film.

Example 27 Reverse Transcription—PCT

Representative frozen tissue specimens of histologically confirmed oral normal tissues, leukoplakia and HNOSCCs were used for extraction of total RNA using the TRI reagent (Sigma, Mo.) as previously described (29). First-strand cDNA was synthesized using 2 μg RNA with oligo dT as the primer with MMLV reverse transcriptase. PCR was carried out using hnRNPK specific primers forward-(5′AGCAGAGCTCGGAATCTTCCTCTT3′ SEQ ID NO: 749) and reverse-(5′ATCAGCACTGAAACC AAC CA TGCC3′ SEQ ID NO: 750) (Accession No. NM 002140). 20 μl of each PCR product was used for electrophoresis on a 1.2% agarose gel stained with ethidium bromide. The gel was visualized with UV light and photographed.

Provided below is a summary of the results obtained by the inventors in connection with the experiments of Examples 21-27:

Identification of hnRNP K in Oral Premalignant Lesions by Mass Spectrometry.

The tandem MS spectra for the two peptides, A: DLAGSIIGK (SEQ ID NO: 368) and B: IDEPLEGSEDR (SEQ ID NO: 369), identified from hnRNPK in iTRAQ-labeled oral leukoplakia with dysplasia by LC-MS are given in FIGS. 21A and 21B, respectively. In each case, the topmost panel shows the confidence and score for each peptide, the sequence, theoretical mass, theoretical mass/charge ratio, charge state and difference between experimental and theoretical mass of the peptide. The expected product ion masses highlighted in the table in the middle are matched with the detected peaks in each spectrum. The lowermost panel in each case shows the location of the peptide within the context of the intact protein sequence.

Immunohistochemical Analysis of hnRNP K Expression in Oral Lesions.

To determine the clinical significance of hnRNPK protein in head-and-neck tumorigenesis, its expression was analyzed in different stages of HNOSCC development by means of immunohistochemistry using a specific monoclonal antibody. Of the 55 normal tissues analyzed, 51 cases (93%) showed faint or no detectable hnRNPK immunostaining in the nucleus/cytoplasm of the epithelial cells (Table 9a, FIG. 14 a). However, four normal tissues showed nuclear expression of hnRNPK, as per positivity criteria defined in the Methods section; all these four tissues were obtained from a site adjacent to the tumor from HNOSCC patients, and thus the increased hnRNPK expression in these histological normal tissues may be a manifestation of field cancerization.

Chi square trend analysis showed significant increase in nuclear staining of hnRNPK in different stages of head-and-neck/oral tumorigenesis (normal, leukoplakia and HNOSCCs; Table 9a, p_(trend)<0.001). Of the 199 leukoplakias analyzed, 141 cases (71%) showed significant increase in nuclear hnRNPK immunostaining in comparison with the normal tissues (p<0.001, Odds ratio (OR)=30.9, 95% CI=10.7-89.7, Table 9a). Oral leukoplakia is a clinical terminology and histologically these lesions are classified into leukoplakia with no dysplasia or with dysplasia for disease management. Of the 199 leukoplakias, 115 cases showed no histological evidence of dysplasia; 78/115 (68%) cases showed significant increase in nuclear hnRNPK immunoreactivity in comparison with the normal tissues (p<0.001, OR=26.8, 95% CI=9.1-79.9, Table 1a and FIG. 14 b). Importantly, progressive increase in nuclear expression of hnRNPK was observed in 75% dysplasias (63 of 84 cases, FIG. 14 d) in comparison with normal tissues (p<0.001, OR=38.2, 95% CI=11.7-113.1).

It is noteworthy that 26 of 199 leukoplakia cases showed cytoplasmic localization of hnRNPK, in addition to its nuclear expression, as shown in FIGS. 14 c and 14 e, respectively. Chi square analysis revealed that leukoplakias showing cytoplasmic hnRNPK staining are at 4.3-fold higher risk for cancer development (p<0.001, 95% CI=2.2-7.2, Table 9a). The majority of HNOSCCs (78%) showed nuclear localization of hnRNPK in tumor cells (FIG. 140. In addition to nuclear staining, intense hnRNPK staining was also observed in the cytoplasm of tumors cells in 38 of 100 HNOSCCs analyzed (FIG. 14 g).

The clinicopathological parameters of HNOSCCs patients and their correlation with nuclear/cytoplasmic expression of hnRNPK are shown in Table 9a. Increased cytoplasmic staining of hnRNPK showed a significant association with de-differentiation of HNOSCCs (p=0.001). Furthermore, no significant correlation between nuclear/cytoplasmic hnRNPK and other clinicopathological parameter, including gender, tumor size, nodal status or tobacco consumption of HNOSCC patients was found. No immunostaining was observed in tissue sections used as negative controls where the primary antibody was replaced by isotype specific IgG (FIG. 14 h), while the positive control (colorectal cancer) showed nuclear expression of hnRNPK protein (data not shown).

Evaluation of hnRNP K as Potential Biomarker for Diagnosis and/or Prognosis.

Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the potential of hnRNPK as a biomarker to distinguish leukoplakia and HNOSCCs from normal oral epithelium. The values for area-under-the-curve (AUC) were 0.822, 0.872 and 0.869 for leukoplakia without dysplasia (FIG. 15 a), with dysplasia (FIG. 15 b), and cancer (FIG. 15 c), respectively, with respect to normal oral tissues based on the total score for nuclear immunostaining (Table 9b). The positive predictive values (PPV) were 92.7, 92.3, and 92.3, respectively, for nuclear immunostaining in the three groups. Similarly, ROC analysis was used for determination of AUC and PPV for cytoplasmic hnRNPK staining in all these three groups as shown in Table 9b and FIG. 16 a-c.

hnRNP K Expression as a Predictor of Disease Progression and Prognosis.

Significantly, the follow-up data sets of 100 leukoplakia patients for three years and 77 HNOSCC cases for seven years were used to assess the prognostic value of hnRNPK for predicting disease progression in patients with leukoplakia and cancer recurrence in HNOSCC patients after completion of primary treatment. Both positive predictive and negative predictive values of the prognostic test are of paramount importance in this context, with the former to correctly identify cases that need early intervention, and with the latter to gauge, in the most accurate way, where such intervention with its monumental personal impacts can and should be avoided.

FIG. 16 shows the estimated PPVs and NPVs for nuclear and cytoplasmic hnRNPK expression as prognostic biomarkers. FIGS. 16 a and 16 b for disease progression of leukoplakia; and for cancer recurrence in HNOSCC patients (FIGS. 16 c and 16 d). Even though the absolute numbers that give rise to these estimates are only moderate (23 cases), cytoplasmic hnRNPK expression in leukoplakias (12 cases) appears to be a promising biomarker for disease progression, with PPV_(cyto)(18 months)=44.4 and PPV_(cyto) (36 months)=66.7 (12 disease progressions). These values are compared with the PPVs of overall hnRNPK expression (both nuclear and cytoplasmic immunopositivity—PPV_(overall)), PPV_(overall) (18 months)=15.0 and PPV_(overall) (36 months)=23.0. These result in estimated ratios or relative positive predictive values of cytoplasmic hnRNPK expression for disease progression of 2.96 and 2.90 for 18 and 36 months, respectively.

On the other hand, high nuclear hnRNPK expression (22 cases) appears not, by itself, to define a biomarker of high prognostic value (PPV_(nuc) (36 months)=28.2, compared with PPV_(overall) (36 months)=23). Of note, the negative predictive value of cytoplasmic hnRNPK expression in leukoplakias is very high (NPV_(cyto) (36 months)=86.6). Based on the inventors' data, the additional prognostic value which hnRNPK, in either its nuclear or cytoplasmic expression, provides for predicting (PPV) or excluding (NPV) cancer recurrence in HNOSCC patients is: PPV_(nuc)(76 months)/PPV_(overall)(76 months)=68.9/61.0; PPV_(cyto)(76 months)/PPV_(overall)(76 months)=81.3/61.0; NPV. (76 months)/NPV_(overall) (76 months)=68.9/39.0; and NPV_(cyto) (76 months)/NPV_(overall) (76 months)=53.3/39.0. Based on these analyses, the most significant improvement over clinicopathological criteria that cytoplasmic hnRNPK appears to offer as a marker is in predicting disease progression in leukoplakia patients and prognosis of HNOSCCs.

While PP Vs. and NP Vs. quantify the estimated predictive power of the marker, the strength of the statistical association of hnRNPK expression with poor prognosis was assessed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Log-rank test showed significantly reduced time for disease progression (p<0.001; median time=17 months) in leukoplakia patients showing increased cytoplasmic expression of hnRNPK (18 cases), as compared to the median time of 35 months in the patients showing no/faint immunostaining of hnRNPK in the cytoplasm (FIG. 17 a). Leukoplakia patients showing intense nuclear hnRNPK expression (78 cases) had poor prognosis, as compared to patients who did not show increased nuclear hnRNPK (p=0.004, FIG. 17 b), though there was no significant difference in median time for disease progression. The inventors' findings clearly underscore the potential of cytoplasmic hnRNPK as a marker for predicting disease progression in leukoplakia patients. Of the 100 leukoplakia patients, 83 cases showed no histological evidence of dysplasia and similar correlations of cytoplasmic and nuclear expression were observed with disease progression for these leukoplakias (FIGS. 4 a and 4 b, respectively). However, similar statistical analysis could not be carried out for dysplasias due to the small number of cases in this group (17 cases).

In addition, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed significantly reduced disease free survival (p=0.004; median survival 11 months) in HNOSCC patients harboring increased cytoplasmic expression of hnRNPK, as compared to median disease-free survival of 41 months in the patients showing no/faint cytoplasmic hnRNPK immunostaining (FIG. 17 c). Similarly, reduced disease-free survival of 14 months was observed in HNOSCC patients showing intense nuclear expression of hnRNPK, as compared to patients who did not show increased nuclear hnRNPK (median survival of 57 months); although this could not reach a statistically significant value of p<0.05 (FIG. 17 d). These findings clearly demonstrate the potential of nuclear hnRNPK as a biomarker for diagnosis, and cytoplasmic hnRNPK as a potential marker for predicting poor prognosis of HNOSCCs.

Immunoblotting and RT-PCR.

The overexpression of hnRNPK in oral lesions was further validated by immunoblotting and RT-PCR analyses in the same tissue samples as used for immunohistochemical analysis. Immunoblot analysis showed a single intense band of 64 kDa, confirming the increased expression of hnRNPK in oral leukoplakias and HNOSCCs, as compared to the normal tissues (FIG. 18A). RT-PCR analysis demonstrated increased levels of hnRNPK transcripts in the same tissue specimens of leukoplakias and HNOSCCs in comparison with normal tissues (FIG. 18B), thus supporting the immunohistochemical findings and suggesting transcriptional upregulation of hnRNPK in these tissues.

Without being bound by theory, the results obtained in the experiments of Examples 21-27 are discussed below:

hnRNPK overexpression in early oral lesions is a very important unique finding of this study, providing clinical evidence to establish its link with progression potential of leukoplakia in support of its proposed role as a transformation-related protein. To the inventors' knowledge, this is the first investigation to demonstrate the clinical application of a candidate biomarker identified using MS-based tissue proteomics in identifying early oral premalignant lesions that may be at high risk of disease progression. The salient findings of the inventors' study are: i) nuclear hnRNPK expression increases progressively from oral normal tissues to hyperplasia, dysplasia and frank malignancy and may serve as a plausible diagnostic marker for HNOSCCs; ii) cytoplasmic accumulation of hnRNPK is significantly increased from leukoplakia to cancer; (iii) aberrant subcellular localization (cytoplasmic accumulation) of hnRNPK is a predictor of disease progression in leukoplakia patients and disease recurrence in HNOSCC patients; iv) cytoplasmic hnRNPK is associated with poor prognosis of HNOSCCs; and v) hnRNPK is transcriptionally upregulated in head and neck tumorigenesis.

Expression profiling of different cancer types and mechanistic studies have strongly implicated hnRNPK as a key player in human cancers. To the inventors' knowledge, this study is the first report demonstrating increased expression of hnRNPK in oral leukoplakia by immunohistochemistry. The significantly increased nuclear expression of hnRNPK in oral hyperplastic lesions points to this alteration being an early event in the development of premalignant lesions and is in accord with its role as a transcriptional regulator of growth promoting genes such as myc and src and promoter of cell proliferation (111-117).

The major challenge in oral tumorigenesis is the identification of proteins that may serve as markers to predict high risk leukoplakias for early intervention. Most studies on leukoplakia focus on dysplastic lesions, while knowledge of molecular alterations in oral hyperplasia is meager. As per the existing literature, the malignant transformation potential is often linked to the severity of dysplasia; in comparison the hyperplastic lesions have received less attention, primarily because these lesions often undergo spontaneous regression. However, the lesions that do not regress need identification and biomarkers to predict the risk of malignant transformation.

In this context, the study assumes importance, because not only does it show aberrant hnRNPK expression as early as in hyperplasia, but the follow-up study also points to the relevance of cytoplasmic hnRNPK in predicting the risk of disease progression in leukoplakia patients with hyperplasia and HNOSCCs. It is noteworthy that studies on molecular analysis of leukoplakia with hyperplasia are very limited, because these patients often do not come to the clinics since their lesions are small and do not pose any overt clinical problem. However, it is extremely important to target this patient population for risk assessment and early intervention for cancer prevention in high risk cases. Hence, the inventors' findings are important and warrant further validation in larger independent studies on oral hyperplastic lesions. Furthermore, the cytoplasmic expression of hnRNPK protein observed in epithelial cells of a subset of hyperplastic and dysplastic lesions points to a potential role in development and progression during early stages of oral tumorigenesis, while the overexpression in HNOSCCs and association with poor prognosis suggests a sustained involvement in frank malignancy as well.

In this context, the aberrant cytoplasmic accumulation of hnRNPK protein in a small subset of leukoplakias (26/199, 13% cases) and larger proportion of HNOSCCs (38%) and its potential of risk prediction is noteworthy. The cumulative risk of leukoplakia to transform into OSCC range from 3.6 to 19.8%, 0.4 to 38%, 3 to 33%, and 0 to 20% in different studies; the calculated average amounted to 3% to 8.1% (35). Based on meta-analysis of several follow-up studies of leukoplakia patients an overall rate of 5% transformations in 5 years, resulting in an average annual transformation rate of 1% has been reported by Hunter et al. (2). This 3 year follow-up study showed disease progression in 23/100 leukoplakia patients, 12/23 showed cytoplasmic accumulation of hnRNPK. Long-term follow-up of these leukoplakia patients is needed to establish the link between cytoplasmic hnRNPK and risk of cancer development.

Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed association of cytoplasmic hnRNPK with disease progression of leukoplakia and poor prognosis of HNOSCC. Furthermore, analysis of the predictive potential of hnRNPK revealed its utility as a marker to identify high risk leukoplakia and aggressive HNOSCCs, supporting the association observed by Kaplan Meier analysis. These findings also suggest that leukoplakic lesions with cytoplasmic hnRNPK protein expression are at high risk of disease progression and warrant early intervention as well. The potential mechanistic link between cytoplasmic hnRNPK expression and potential of malignant transformation remains to be established. Efforts are currently underway to demonstrate the role of hnRNPK in malignant transformation of cell cultures established from oral hyperplastic lesions in vitro.

The poor prognosis of HNOSCC patients showing aberrant cytoplasmic hnRNPK protein expression also supports a role for this protein in progression of HNOSCCs. Interestingly, aberrant cytoplasmic hnRNPK protein expression has also been observed in colorectal cancers (88). Importantly, nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients showing cytoplasmic hnRNPK were reported to have significantly reduced distant metastasis free survival (118). The cytoplasmic hnRNPK expression may be attributed to the presence of a N-terminal bipartite nuclear localization signal and a hnRNPK-specific nuclear shuttling signal that confer the capacity for bidirectional transport across the nuclear envelope (114). Recently, the K nuclear shuttling (KNS) domain, a well-known signal for nuclear import and export, has also been shown to be responsible for the transactivation activity of hnRNPK protein (119). The cytoplasmic accumulation of hnRNPK is controlled by extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-dependent serine phosphorylation (Ser284 and Ser353) (120). In the cytoplasm, hnRNPK functions as a translational regulator of specific mRNAs, such as c-myc mRNA, renin mRNA, human papillomavirus type 16 L2 capsid protein mRNA, and reticulocyte-15-lipoxygenase (r15-LOX) mRNA (121-124). HPV 16 and 18 have been associated with a large proportion of HNOSCCs, especially among non-consumers of tobacco, though the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of HPV associated HNOSCCS are under intense investigation. Recent proteomic analysis of HPV positive and HPV negative OSCCs have revealed differences in protein expression patterns; whether hnRNPK plays different roles in these tumor subtypes remains to be investigated (15). In the cytoplasm, hnRNPK functions as a specific activator of c-Src and is a substrate of this tyrosine kinase. c-Src-dependent phosphorylation modulates the r15-LOX mRNA-binding activity of hnRNPK and its function in the control of mRNA translation during erythroid cell maturation (113, 114, 124). Taken together with the diverse influence of hnRNPK on gene expression and mechanisms regulating hnRNPK subcellular localization, it is speculated that gene dysregulation resulting from cytoplasmic accumulation of hnRNPK may play an important role in tumorigenesis.

Hence, hnRNPK has herein been shown to be over-expressed in oral lesions—early premalignant stages of tumorigenesis and in frank tumors in comparison with normal oral tissues both at protein and transcript levels. Furthermore, its subcellular localization—predominantly nuclear in hyperplasias, but present in both cytoplasm and nucleus in a subset of hyperplasias and dysplasias and increasing cytoplasmic expression in tumor cells, suggests that nuclear-cytoplasmic translocation may have an important role in malignant transformation of oral cancer cells. The most important finding is that cytoplasmic hnRNPK is a predictor of disease progression in leukoplakia patients and poor prognostic marker for HNOSCCs, hence targeting hnRNPK might be a new chemopreventive/therapeutic strategy in head and neck/oral cancer. Large scale studies are warranted to further evaluate hnRNPK's potential as an indicator of risk of progression of leukoplakia and role in development and progression during early stages of head and neck/oral tumorigenesis.

While the foregoing invention has been described in some detail for purposes of clarity and understanding, it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, from a reading of the disclosure, that various changes in form and detail can be made without departing from the true scope of the invention in the appended claims The present invention is not to be limited in scope by the specific embodiments described herein, since such embodiments are intended as but single illustrations of one aspect of the invention, and any functionally equivalent embodiments are within the scope of thereof. Indeed, various modifications of the invention, in addition to those shown and described herein, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description and accompanying drawings. Such modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

All publications, patents, and patent applications referred to herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference in its entirety. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the invention is not entitled to antedate the cited references by virtue of prior invention.

Set out below are full citations for the references cited herein.

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TABLE 1 iTRAQ ratios for HNSCC and non-cancerous head-and-neck tissue samples.

TABLE 2 Receiver-operating characteristics from the iTRAQ ratios of a panel of three best-performing biomarkers - YWHAZ, stratifin, and S100A7 - individually and as a panel. BIOMARKER PANEL SENS SPEC PPV NPV AUC YWHAZ 0.30 1.00 1.00 0.42 1.00 SFN 0.80 1.00 1.00 0.71 0.98 S100 CBP A7 0.70 1.00 1.00 0.63 0.90 YWHAZ, STRATIFIN, 0.92 0.91 0.95 0.85 0.96 S100A7

TABLE 3 Receiver-operating characteristics from the IHC scores of a panel of three best-performing biomarkers - YWHAZ, stratifin, and S100A7 - individually and as a panel. BIOMARKER PANEL SENS SPEC PPV NPV AUC YWHAZ 1.00 0.71 0.71 1.00 0.90 SFN 0.92 0.60 0.62 0.91 0.85 S100 CBP A7 0.96 0.71 0.71 0.96 0.90 YWHAZ, STRATIFIN, 0.92 0.87 0.83 0.94 0.91 S100A7

TABLE 4 Comparison of receiver-operating characteristics from the iTRAQ ratios of the panel of three best-performing biomarkers. COMPARISON SENS SPEC PPV NPV AUC Cancer vs. 0.92 0.83 0.85 0.92 0.89 Paired Normal Cancer vs. 0.96 0.96 0.98 0.90 0.97 Non-Paired Normal

TABLE 5 Differentially-expressed proteins not previously described in OPLs and head-and-neck malignancies and cancer. Expression SEQ in Head-and- Expression ID. No. Protein Name Gene Name Accession No. Neck Cancer in OPLs 1. Calmodulin-like CALML5 Peptide: spt|Q9NZT1 Up-regulated protein 5 mRNA/DNA coding: NM_017422 2. Polybromo-1D PBRM1 Peptide: trm|Q86U86 Down-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: NM_181042 3. APC-binding protein MAPRE1 Peptide: spt|Q15691 Up-regulated EB1 mRNA/DNA coding: NM_012325 4. Carbonic anhydrase I CA1 Peptide: spt|P00915 Down-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: NM_001738 5. Mast cell tryptase tryptaseB Peptide: trm|Q96RZ7 Down-regulated beta III mRNA/DNA coding: NM_024164 6. Histone H3 HIST2H3A Peptide: trm|Q71DI3 Down-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: NM_021059 7. Plastin 3 PLS3 Peptide: spt|P13797 Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: NM_005032 8. Histone H4 HIST1H4A Peptide: spt|P62805 Down-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: NM_003495 9. Cyclophilin A PPIA Peptide: trm|Q6NTE9 Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: NM_021130 10. PACAP MGC29506 Peptide: trm|Q8WU39 Down-regulated (proapoptotic caspase mRNA/DNA coding: NM_016459 adaptor protein) 11. LDH A LDHA Peptide: spt|P00338 Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: NM_005566 12. KSPG Luminican LUM Peptide: spt|P51884 Down-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: NM_002345 13. S100 CBP A7 S100A7 Peptide: spt|P31151 Up-regulated *Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: NM_002963.3 14. Peroxiredoxin 2 PRDX2 Peptide: spt|P32119 Down-regulated Down-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: NM_181738 15. Superoxide dismutase SOD2 Peptide: trm|AAH16934 Up-regulated *Up-regulated 2 (SOD2 protein) mRNA/DNA coding: BC016934 16. Alpha 1 Anti-Trypsin SERPINA1 or Peptide: spt|P01009 Down-regulated Down-regulated Precursor AAT mRNA/DNA coding: NM_001002236 17. MARCKS MACS Peptide: gb|AAA59555.1 Up-regulated Down-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: M68956 18. GRP-94 HSP90B1 Peptide: spt|P14625 Down-regulated Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: NM_003299 19. Prothymosin Alpha PTMA Peptide: spt|P06454 Up-regulated Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: NM_001099285 20. Histone H2B.1 HIST2H2BE Peptide: spt|Q16778 Down-regulated Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: NM_003528 21. Nucleophosmin 1 NPM1 Peptide: gb|AAH16768.1 Up-regulated Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: BC016768 22. PK M2 PKM2 Peptide: spt|P14618 Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: NM_182471 23. Stratifin SFN spt|P31947 Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: 24. YWHAZ trm|Q86V33 Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: 25. hnRNPK spt|P61978 Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: 18. HSP90B1 spt|P14625 Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: 26. Parathymosin PTHM trm|O15256 Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: 27. Cystatin B spt|P04080 Down-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: P04080 28. DLC1 trm|Q6NSB4 Down-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: 29. FABP5 spt|Q01469 Down-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: 30. IGHG1 protein gb|AAH25314.1 Down-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: 31. Calgizzarin spt|P31949 Down-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: 32. IGL 2* trm|Q8N5F4 Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: 33. P37AUF1* trm|Q12771 Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: 22. PKM2* spt|P14618 Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: 34. ROA1HNRNPA1* sptIP09651 Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: 35. Hsp27* sptIP04792 Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: P04792 36. Cofilin* spt|P23528 Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: 37. Glyceraldehyde-3- emb|CAA25833.1 Up-regulated phosphate Dehydrogenase* mRNA/DNA coding: 38. NDP Kinase B* spt|P22392 Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: 39. Elongation Factor 2* spt|P13639 Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: 40. PE Binding protein* spt|P30086 Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding: 41. CALM 3* spt|P27482 Up-regulated mRNA/DNA coding:

TABLE 6 Average iTRAQ ratios for OPLs and histologically-normal control oral tissue samples.

TABLE 7 Receiver-operating characteristics from (A) the iTRAQ ratios and (B) IHC scores of a panel of three best-performing biomarkers - YWHAZ, stratifin, and hnRNPK - individually and as a panel. Biomarker Sensitivity Specificity PPV NPV AUC A. iTRAQ analysis YWHAZ 0.33 1.0 1.0 0.43 0.78 Stratifin 0.81 1.0 1.0 0.75 0.82 hnRNPK 0.17 1.0 1.0 0.38 0.78 Panel of the three 0.83 0.74 0.87 0.69 0.85 B. IHC analysis YWHAZ 0.90 0.95 0.96 0.87 0.93 Stratifin 0.77 0.95 0.96 0.74 0.93 hnRNPK 0.80 0.91 0.92 0.76 0.89 Panel of the three 0.91 0.95 0.96 0.88 0.97

TABLE 8 Analysis of Stratifin and YWHAZ in HNOSCCs: correlation with clinicopathological parameters. Total Clinicopathological Cases STRATIFIN⁺ STRATIFIN⁺-YWHAZ⁺ STRATIFIN⁺/YWHAZ⁺ Features N n (%) n (%) n (%) Non-malignant tissue 39 12 (31) 8 (20) 25 (64) HNOSCC# 51 32 (63) 28 (55) 43 (84) Differentiation* WDSCC 29 18 (62) 16 (55) 26 (90) MDSCC 19 12 (63) 10 (53) 15 (79) PDSCC 3 2 (67) 2 (67) 2 (67) Tumor Stage T₁ 6 5 (83) 5 (83) 6 (100)  T₂ 15 6 (40) 4 (27) 11 (73) T₃ 13 9 (69) 8 (61) 12 (92) T₄ 17 12 (71) 11 (65) 14 (82) Nodal Status N⁻ 28 17 (61) 15 (54) 23 (82) N⁺ 23 15 (65) 13 (56) 20 (87) *WDSCC, well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma; MDSCC, moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma; PDSCC, poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma #For HNOSCCs vs. Non-malignant tissues: a) Stratifin⁺ (p = 0.03, OR = 3.8, 95% CI = 1.6-9.2); b) YWHAZ⁺ (p = 0.024, OR = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.2-6.8); c) Stratifin⁺-YWHAZ⁺ (p = 0.001, OR = 4.7, 95% CI = 1.8-12.2); d) SFN⁺/YWHAZ⁺ (p = 0.027, OR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.1-8.2).

TABLE 9a Analysis of overexpression of hnRNP K protein in oral lesions and correlation with clinicopathological parameters. Clinicopathological Total Nuclear Positivity Cytoplasmic Positivity Features Cases N (%) p-value OR (95% CI) N (%) p-value OR (95% CI) NORMAL 55 4  (7) — — LEUKOPLAKIA 199 141 (71) <0.001^(a) 30.9 (10.7-89.7)  26 (13) <0.001^(b) 4.3 (2.2-7.2) NO DYSPLASIA 115 78 (68) <0.001^(c) 26.8 (9.1-79.9)  18 (16) <0.001^(d) 4.3 (1.8-6.3) DYSPLASIA 84 63 (75) <0.001^(e) 38.2 (11.7-113.1) 8 (10) <0.001^(f)  5.8 (2.5-13.4) HNOSCC 100 78 (78) <0.001^(g) 45.2 (14.7-138.8) 38 (38) Age (Median, 53 yrs) <53 49 34 (69) 0.05 2.7 (1.1-7.5)  16 (33) 0.28 — ≧53 51 44 (86) 22 (43) Gender Male 75 59 (78) 0.78 — 28 (37) 0.81 — Female 25 19 (76) 10 (40) Differentiation 0.001 WDSCC 45 33 (73) 0.31 — 9 (20) — MDSCC 49 39 (79) 24 (49) PDSCC 6 6 (100)  5 (83) Tumor Stage 0.19 T₁ 4 4 (100)  0.42 — 3 (75) — T₂ 35 28 (80) 15 (43) T₃ 25 17 (68) 6 (24) T₄ 36 29 (81) 14 (39) Nodal Status 0.52 N₀ 33 24 (73) 0.37 — 14 (42) — N₁₋₄ 67 54 (81) 24 (36) Habits 0.41 Non consumer 22 19 (86) 0.28 — 10 (45) — Tobacco consumer 78 59 (75) 28 (36) # Nuclear staining: ^(a)Normal vs. Leukoplakia; ^(c)Normal vs. Leukoplakia with no evidence of dysplasia; ^(e)Normal vs. Dysplasia; ^(g)Normal vs. HNOSCCs; N/L/HNOSCCs: p < 0.001; ## Cytoplasmic staining: ^(b)Leukoplakia vs. HNOSCCs; ^(d)Leukoplakia with no evidence of dysplasia vs. HNOSCCs; ^(f)Dysplasia vs. HNOSCCs; N/L/HNOSCCs: p < 0.001

TABLE 9b Biomarker analysis of hnRNP K (nuclear/cytoplasmic) in oral lesions. hnRNP K Sensitivity Specificity PPV AUC I) Nuclear staining Normal vs. Leukoplakia 67.0 92.7 94.8 0.822 (No Dysplasia) Normal vs. Leukoplakia 74.1 92.3 93.7 0.872 (Dysplasia) Normal vs. OSCCs 78.0 92.3 95.1 0.869 II) Cytoplasmic staining Normal vs. Leukoplakia 15.3 100 100 0.577 (No Dysplasia) Normal vs. Leukoplakia 8.3 100 100 0.543 (Dysplasia) Normal vs. OSCCs 38.1 100 100 0.709

TABLE 10 Alternate accession numbers for OPL proteins. Accession # Protein Name Alternate Accession #s spt|P61978 hnRNPK gi|48429103, NP_002131.2, S74678.1, NP_112552.1, AAB20770.1, NP_112553.1, X72727.1, 1J5K_A, CAA51267.1, 1KHM_A, AB209562.1, 1ZZI_A, BAD92799.1, 1ZZI_B, BC000355.2, 1ZZJ_A, AAH00355.1, 1ZZJ_B, BC014980.1, 1ZZJ_C, AAH14980.1, 1ZZK_A, S43363 spt|P14625 HSP90B1 gi|119360, AAH66656.1, X15187.1, M26596.1, CAA33261.1, AAA58621.1, M33716.1, AY040226.1, AAA68201.1, AAK74072.1, BC066656.1, NP_003290.1 trm|O15256 Parathymosin gi|74705500, Y13586.1, CAA73913.1 trm|Q6NSB4 DLC1 gi|74758095, BC070299.1, AAH70299.1 spt|Q01469 FABP5 gi|232081, AAH70303.1, M94856.1, I56326, AAA58467.1, NP_001435.1, BT007449.1, XP_001127657.1, AAP36117.1, XP_001128089.1, BC019385.2, XP_001718427.1, AAH19385.1, 1B56_A, BC070303.1, 1JJJ_A gb|AAH25314.1 IGHG1 protein gi|19263707 trm|Q8N5F4 IGL 2* gi|74728989, BC032452.1, AAH32452.1 trm|Q12771 P37AUF1* gi|74754454, U02019.1, AAC50056.1, A54601 prf|0904262A SOD2* gi|223632 spt|P14618 PKM2* gi|20178296, BC007952.2, M23725.1, AAH07952.3, AAA36449.1, BC012811.2, M26252.1, AAH12811.3, AAA36672.1, BC035198.1, X56494.1, AAH35198.1, CAA39849.1, AF025439.1, AY352517.1, AAC39559.1, AAQ15274.1, S30038, AK222927.1, S64635, BAD96647.1, NP_002645.3, AC020779.10, NP_872270.1, CH471082.1, 1T5A_A, EAW77884.1, 1T5A_B, BC000481.2, 1T5A_C, AAH00481.3, 1T5A_D, BC007640.1, 1ZJH_A, AAH07640.1 sptIP09651 ROA1HNRNPA1* gi|133254, AAH74502.1, X12671.1, BC103707.1, CAA31191.1, AAI03708.1, X06747.1, NZ_SHDD041214211, CAA29922.1, NP_002127.1, X04347.1, 1HA1_A, CAA27874.1, 1L3K_A, X79536.1, 1PGZ_A, CAA56072.1, 1PO6_A, BC002355.2, 1U1K_A, AAH02355.1, 1U1L_A, BC009600.1, 1U1M_A, AAH09600.1, 1U1N_A, BC012158.1, 1U1O_A, AAH12158.1, 1U1P_A, BC033714.1, 1U1Q_A, AAH33714.1, 1U1R_A, BC052296.1, 1UP1_A, AAH52296.1, 2H4M_C, BC070315.1, 2H4M_D, AAH70315.1, 2UP1_A, BC074502.1 spt|P23528 Cofilin* gi|116848, AAH11005.1, D00682.1, BC012265.1, BAA00589.1, AAH12265.1, U21909.1, BC012318.1, AAA64501.1, AAH12318.1, X95404.1, BC018256.2, CAA64685.1, AAH18256.1, BT006846.1, NP_005498.1, AAP35492.1, 1Q8G_A, BC011005.2, 1Q8X_A emb|CAA25833.1 Glyceraldehyde-3- gi|31645, 1U8F, Phosphate Dehydrogenase* 1ZNQ spt|P22392 NDP Kinase B* gi|127983, NP_002503.1, X58965.1, 1NSK_L, CAB37870.1, 1NSK_N, M36981.1, 1NSK_O, AAA36369.1, 1NSK_R, L16785.1, 1NSK_T, AAA60228.1, 1NSK_U, BC002476.2, 1NUE_A, AAH02476.1, 1NUE_B, A49798, 1NUE_C, NP_001018146.1, 1NUE_D, NP_001018147.1, 1NUE_E, NP_001018148.1, 1NUE_F, NP_001018149.1 spt|P13639 Elongation Factor 2* gi|119172, BC126259.1, X51466.1, AAI26260.1, CAA35829.1, M19997.1, Z11692.1, AAA50388.1, CAA77750.1, EFHU2, AY942181.1, NP_001952.1, AAX34409.1 spt|P30086 PE Binding protein gi|1352726, BC031102.1, D16111.1, AAH31102.1, BAA03684.1, S76773.1, X75252.1, AAD14234.1, CAA53031.1, I53745, X85033.1, NP_002558.1, CAA59404.1, 1BD9_A, BC008714.2, 1BD9_B, AAH08714.1, 1BEH_A, BC017396.1, 1BEH_B, AAH17396.1 spt|P27482 CALM 3* gi|115502, CAI11029.1, M58026.1, BC031889.1, AAA36356.1, AAH31889.1, X13461.1, AAA21893.1, CAA31809.1, NP_005176.1, AL732437.12, 1GGZ_A

TABLE 11 # # SEQUENCE PEP- MAX Seq Times ACCESSION PROTEIN COVERAGE TIDES PEPTIDE Confidence ID Seen gb|AAC13868.1 Glutathione  38.27761279  6 AFLASPEYVNLPINGNGKQ 98.99999499  42  17 S  Trans- ferase-P DQQEAALVDMVNDGVEDLR 98.99999499  43  17 FQDGDLTLYQSNTILR 98.99999499  44  17 MLLADQGQSWK 98.99999499  45   2 PPYTVVYFPVR 98.99999499  46   1 TLGLYGKDQQEAALVDMVNDGVEDLR 98.99999499  47   2 spt|P00338 LDH A 20.64380626  7 DQLIYNLLK 98.99999499  48   2 FIIPNVVK 98.99999499  49   3 GEMMDLQHGSLFLR 98.99999499  50   2 LVIITAGAR 98.99999499  51  11 QVVESAYEVIK 98.99999499  52   5 VIGSGCNLDSAR 98.99999499  53   7 VTLTSEEEAR 98.99999499  54  12 spt|P01002 Alpha 1  29.90430593  9 AVLTIDEK 98.99999499  55   2 Anti- Trypsin  Precursor DTEEEDFHVDQVTTVK 98.99999499  56   2 FLENEDRR 97.99999595  57   1 GTEAAGAMFLEAIPM 98.99999499  58   3 GTEAAGAMFLEAIPMSIPPEVK 98.99999499  59   1 LQHLENELTHDIITK 98.99999499  60   1 SVLGQLGITK 98.99999499  61   2 TDTSHHDQDHPTPNK 98.99999499  62   1 VFSNGADLSGVTEEAPLK 98.99999499  63   5 spt|P04060 Cystatin B 54.08163071  6 CGAPSATQPATAETQMIADQVR 98.99999499  64   2 GAPSATOPATAETQMIADQVR 98.99999499  65   2 MMCGAPSATQPATAETQHIADQVR 98.99999499  66  21 PSATQPATAETQHIADQVR 98.99999499  67   4 SQVVAGTNYFIK 98.99999499  68  14 VHVGDEDFVHLR 98.99999499  69  10 spt|P04083 Annexin A1 34.49275404  9 ALYEAGER 98.99999499  70   7 DITSDTSGDFR 98.99999499  71   6 GLGTDEDTLIEILASR 98.99999499  72  50 GTDVNVFNTILTTR 98.99999499  73   9 GVDEATIIDILTK 98.99999499  74   4 KGTDVNVFNTILTTR 98.99999499  75   8 NALLSLAK 98.99999499  76   6 QAWFIENEEQEYVQTVK 98.99999499  77   1 TPAQFDADELR 98.99999499  78   6 spt|P063S4 Prothy-  35.45464443  5 AAEDDEDDDVDTK 98.99999499  79   1 mosin Alpha AAEDDEDDDVDTKK 98.99999499  80   2 EVVEEAENGR 98.99999499  81   3 KEVVEEAENGR 98.99999499  82   5 SDAAVDTSSEITTK 98.99999499  83   6 spt|P07565 Detoxin   5.013927445  4 DFEPSLGPVCPFR 94.99999881  84   1 precursor DLPPDTTLLDLQNNK 98.99999499  85   1 ELHLDNNK 97.99999595  86   1 VSPGAFTPLVK 98.99999499  87   1 spt|P68670 Vimertin 58.81057382 28 ADLSEAANR 98.99999499  88   2 DGQVINETSQHHDDLE 98.99999499  89   5 DNLAEDIMR 98.99999499  90  10 EEAENTLQSFR 98.99999499  91   4 EKLQEEMLQR 98.99999499  92   6 EMEENFAVEAANYQDTIGR 98.99999499  93  17 ETNLDSLPLVDTHSK 98.99999499  94   8 EYQDLLNVK 98.99999499  95   2 FADLSEAANR 98.99999499  96  10 ILLAELEQLK 98.99999499  97   3 ISLPLPNFSSLNLR 98.99999499  98   5 KLLEGEESR 98.99999499   99   7 LGDLYEEEMR 98.99999499 100  13 LLEGEESR 94.99999861 101   1 LLQDSVDFSLADAINTEFK 98.99999499 102   2 LQDEIQNMK 98.99999499 103   3 LQDEIQNMKEEMAR 98.99999499 104   9 LQEEMLQR 98.99999499 105  10 NLDSLPLVDTHSK 98.99999499 106   1 NLQEAEEWYK 98.99999499 107   3 QDVDNASLAR 98.99999499 108   1 QQYESVAAK 98.99999499 109   5 QVDQLTNDK 98.99999499 110   2 QVQSLTCEVDALK 98.99999499 111   7 RQVDQLTNDK 98.9999969 112   1 TNEKVELQELNDR 98.99999499 113   5 VELQELNDR 98.99999499 114   7 VEVERDNLAEDIMR 98.99999499 115   2 spt|P13928 Annexin A8 17.4311921  6 AYEEDYGSSLEEDIQADTSGYLER 98.99999499 116   1 EGVIIEILASR 97.99999595 117   1 GIGTNEQAIIDVLTK 97.99999595 118   1 NALLSLVGSDP 96.9999969 119   1 SSSHFNPDPDAETLYK 98.99999499 120   1 TLSSMHMEDTSGDYK 98.99999499 121   2 spt|P14618 PK M2 39.81132209 18 AEGSDVANAVLDGADCIMLSGETAK 98.99999499 122  14 APIIAVTR 98.99999499 123  17 EAEAAIYHLQLFEELR 98.99999499 124   3 EAEAAIYHLQLFEELRR 98.99999499 125   1 FDEILEASDGIMVAR 98.99999499 126   3 GADFLVTEVENGGSLGSK 98.99999499 127  17 GDLGIEIPAEK 98.99999499 128   3 GDYPLEAVR 98.99999499 129  10 GSGTAEVELK 98.99999499 130   1 GVNLPGAAVDLPAVSEK 98.99999499 131   5 HVDDGLISLQVK 98.99999499 132   7 KASDVHEVR 98.99999499 133   1 LAPITSDPTEATAVGAVEASFK 98.99999499 134   3 LDIDSPFITAR 98.99999499 135  21 NTGIICTIGPASR 98.99999499 136  10 RFDEILEASDGIMVAR 98.99999499 137  17 TATESFASDPILYRPVAVALDTK 98.99999499 138   6 VNFAMNVGK 98.99999499 139   2 spt|14625 GRP 94 18.31382257  6 FAFQAEVNR 98.99999499 140   1 GVVDSDDLPLNVSR 98.99999499 141   2 IYFMAGSSR 98.99999499 142   1 LGVIEDHSNR 98.99999499 143   4 LISLTDENALSGNEELTVK 98.99999499 144   1 NLLHVTDTGVGMTR 98.99999499 145  11 spt|P26038 Meosin 31.25 17 ALELEQER 98.99999499 146   5 ALTSELANAR 98.99999499 147   8 APDFVFYAPR 98.99999499 148   5 AQQELEEQTR 98.99999499 149   3 EALLQASR 96.9999969 150   4 EKEELMER 98.99999499 151   4 FYPEDVSEELIQDITQR 98.99999499 152   2 IGFPWSEIR 96.9999969 153   1 IQVWHEEHR 98.99999499 154   3 ISQLEMAR 98.99999499 155   6 KAQQELEEQTR 98.99999499 156  10 KTQEQLALEMAELTAR 98.99999499 157   1 QLFDQVVK 96.9999969 158   1 TAMSTPHVAEPAENEQDEQDENGAEAS 96.9999969 159   1 TANDMIHAENMR 98.99999499 160   3 TQEQLALEMAELTAR 98.99999499 161   1 VTTMDAELEFAIQPNTTGK 98.99999499 162   2 spt|P29034 S100A 2 17.52577275  2 ELPSFVGEK 98.99999499 163  13 ELPSFVGEKVDEEGLK 98.99999499 164   1 spt|P31151 S100A 7 33.00000131  3 GTNYLADVFEK 98.99999499 165   4 GTNYLADVFEKK 98.99999499 166   2 SIIGMIDMFHK 98.99999499 167  32 spt|P31947 SFN 75.4629612 16 ADLHTLSEDSYK 96.9999969 168   1 DNLTLWTADNAGEEGGEAPQEPQS 98.99999499 169   4 DSTLIMQLLR 98.99999499 170 180 EEKGPEVR 97.99999595 171   1 EMPPTNPIR 98.99999499 172   9 GAVEKGEELSCEER 98.99999499 173  20 GEELSCEER 98.99999499 174  10 LAEQAER 98.99999499 175   3 NLLSVAYK 98.99999499 176  56 SAYQEAMDISK 98.99999499 177   4 SAYQEAMDISKK 98.99999499 178  10 SNEEGSEEKGPEVR 98.99999499 179  56 TTFDEAMADLHTLSEDSYK 98.99999499 180  50 VLSSIEQK 98.99999499 181  47 YEDMAAFMK 98.99999499 182   8 YLAEVATGDDK 98.99999499 183   9 spt|P31949 Calgizzarin 36.19047701  2 ISSPTETER 98.99999499 184   6 TEFLSFMNTELAAFTK 98.99999499 185   6 spt|P36952 Maspin  11.46666631  2 GDTANEIGQVLHFENVK 98.99999499 186   1 Precursor VCLEITEDGGDSIEVPGAR 94.99999681 187   1 spt|P51884 KSPG  23.66863936  6 FNALQYLR 97.99999595 188   1 Lumican ISNPDEYFK 96.9999969 189   1 NIPTVNENLENYYLEVNQLEK 98.99999499 190   3 NNQIDHDEK 98.99999499 191  13 SLEDLQLTHNK 98.99999499 192  11 SLEYLDLSFNQIAR 98.99999499 193  10 spt|P60709 Beta Actin 72.5333333 34 AALVVDNGSGMCK 98.99999499 194   5 AGFAGDDAPR 98.99999499 195  66 ALDFEQEMATAASSSSLEK 98.99999499 196   6 AVFPSIVGR 98.99999499 197  36 AVFPSIVGRPR 98.99999499 198  68 DDDIAALVVDNGSGMCK 98.99999499 199  88 DESGPSIVHR 98.99999499 200   2 DLTDYLMK 98.99999499 201  24 DLYANTVLSGGTTMYPGIADR 98.99999499 202  15 DSYVGDEAQSK 98.99999499 203  32 DSYVGDEAQSKR 98.99999499 204   8 EITALAPSTMK 98.99999499 205  38 GFAGDDAPR 98.99999499 206   1 GYSFTTTAER 98.99999499 207  10 HQGVMVGMGQK 98.99999499 208   1 IWHHTFYNELR 98.99999499 209   4 KDLYANTVLSGGTTMYPGIADR 98.99999499 210   7 LCYVALDFEQEMATAASSSSLEK 98.99999499 211   1 LLTEAPLNPK 98.99999499 212   2 QEYDESGPSIVHR 98.99999499 213   6 SGGTTMYPGIADR 98.99999499 214   2 SYELPDGQVITIGNER 98.99999499 215 101 TALAPSTMK 98.99999499 216   3 TEAPLNPK 98.99999499 217  18 TTGIVMDSGDGVTHTVPIYEGY 98.99999499 218   6 TTGIVMDSGDGVTHTVPIYEGYALPH 98.99999499 219   1 TTGIVMDSGDGVTHTVPIYEGYALPHAlt 98.99999499 220  15 VALDFEQEMATAASSSSLEK 98.99999499 221   2 VAPEEHPV 97.99999595 222   2 VAPEEHPVL 95.99999785 223   2 VAPEEHPVLL 98.99999499 224   5 VAPEEHPVLLTEAPLNPK 96.9999969 225   1 VLSGGTTMYPGIADR 98.99999499 226   3 YPIEHGIVTNWDDMEK 98.99999449 227  33 spt|P62805 Histone H4 48.0392158  5 DAVTYTEHAK 98.99999499 228  15 DNIQGITKPAIR 98.99999499 229   2 ISGLIYEETR 98.99999499 230  10 TVTAMDVVYALK 98.99999499 231   1 VFLENVIR 97.99999595 232   7 spt|Q9NZT1 Calmodule- 58.21917653  6 AFDQDGDGHITVDELR 98.99999499 233   3 like  protein 5 AFSAVDTDGNGTINAQELGAALK 98.99999499 234   1 AGLEDLQVAFR 98.99999499 235   4 AMAGLGQPLPQEELDAMIR 98.99999499 236   2 NLSEAQLR 98.99999499 237   1 VNYEEFAR 98.99999499 238   1 trm|O60744 Thio-  39.28571343  3 EKLEATINELV 98.99999499 239   1 redoxin Delta 3 TAFQEALDAAGDK 98.99999499 240   4 VGEFSGANK 98.99999499 241  10 trm|Q6NTE9 PPIA 52.38095522  8 EGMNVEAMER 98.99999499 242  14 FEDENFILK 98.99999499 243   3 IIPGFMCQGGDFTR 98.99999499 244  21 ITIADCGQLE 98.9999969 245   1 KITIADCGQLE 98.99999499 246   2 SIYGEKFEDENFILK 98.99999499 247   8 VNPTVFFDIAVDGEPLGR 98.99999499 248  54 VSFELFADK 98.99999499 249   1 trm|Q71DI3 Histone H3 30.14706777  2 EIAQDFKTDLR 94.99999881 250   1 SAPATGGVK 98.99999499 251   4 trm|Q36V33 YWHAZ 39.37500119 13 DNLTLWTSDTQGDEAEAGEGGEN 98.99999499 252   3 DSTLIMQLLR 98.99999499 253 180 EMQPTHPIR 98.99999499 254   8 GIVDQSQQAYQEAFEISK 98.99999499 255   6 GIVDQSQQAYQEAFEISKK 98.99999499 256   2 LAEQAER 98.99999499 257   3 MDKNELVQK 98.99999499 258   4 NLLSVAYK 98.99999499 259  56 SVTEQGAELSNEER 98.99999499 260   8 TAFDEAIAELDTLSEESYK 98.99999499 261  45 VVSSIEQK 98.99999499 262   9 YDDMAACMK 98.99999499 263   7 YLAEVAAGDDKK 98.99999499 264   9 trm|QEWU39 PACAP 26.93412836  3 ELSELVYTDVLDR 98.99999499 265  11 NWQDYGVR 98.99999499 266   5 TCLHYLGEFGEDQIYEAHQQGR 98.99999499 267   1 trm|Q96IH1 FSCN1  6.200000107  5 ASAETVDPASLWEY 98.99999499 268   1 DVPWGVDSLITLAFQDQR 98.99999499 269   1 FLIVAHDDGR 98.99999499 270   7 KVTGTLDANR 98.99999499 271   3 YLAADKDGNVTCER 98.99999499 272   2 trm|Q96R27 Mast cell  18.02575141  5 DDMLCAGNTR 98.9999969 273   1 lyplase  beta III EQHLYYQDQLLPVSR 98.99999499 274   2 IVGGQEAPR 98.99999499 275   9 VPIMENHICDAK 98.99999499 276   2 YHLGAYTGDDVR 98.99999499 277   6 trm|Q9UE88 Histone  19.80198026  3 AMGIMNSFVNDIFER 98.99999499 278   4 H2B.1 LLLPGELAK 98.99999499 279   2 QVHPDTGISSK 98.99999499 280  11 OPLs spt|P29956 MARCKS  9.64  2 AAEEPSKVEEK 99.00 281   2 EAPAEGEAAEPGSPTAAEGEAASAASS 99.00 282   1 spt|P06748 Nucleo   6.18  2 GPSSVEDIK 99.00 283   5 phosmin 1 VTLATLK 96.00 284   1 gb|AAH25314.1 IGHG1  21.49 12 ALPAPIEK 99.00 285  12 protein DYFPEPVTV 98.00 286   1 FNWYVDGVEVHNAK 99.00 287   5 GFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPENNYK 99.00 288   4 GPSVFPLAPSSK 99.00 289   2 NQVSLTCLVK 99.00 290   1 QVQLVQSGAEVK 99.00 291   3 STSGGTAALGCLVK 99.00 292   2 THTCPPCPAPELLGGPSVFLFPPKPK 99.00 293   2 TPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPEVK 99.00 294   3 TTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSK 99.00 295  24 VVSVLTVLHQDWLNGK 99.00 296   2 spt|P01009 Alpha 1   8.13  3 AVLTIDEK 99.00 297   4 Anti-  Trypsin Precursor DTEEEDFHVDQVTTVK 99.00 298   2 LSITGTYDLK 99.00 299   1 spt|P04080 Cystatin B 36.73  4 GAPSATQPATAETQHIADQVR 99.00 300   1 MMCGAPSATQPATAETQHIADQVR 99.00 301  12 SQVVAGTNYFIK 99.00 302   3 VFQSLPHENKPLTLSNYQTNK 99.00 303   2 spt|P06454 PTHA 25.45  5 AAEDDEDDDVDTK 99.00 304   9 AAEDDEDDDVDTKK 99.00 305  14 EVVEEAENGR 99.00 306   6 RAAEDDEDDDVDTK 99.00 307   1 SDAAVDTSSEITTK 99.00 308  17 spt|P14625 GRP 94  3.74 10 DDEVDVDGTVEEDLGK 99.00 309   5 EFEPLLNWMK 99.00 310   4 EVEEDEYK 99.00 311   3 FAFQAEVNR 99.00 312   1 KEAESSPFVER 99.00 313   4 LGVIEDHSNR 99.00 314   3 LISLTDENALSGNEELTVK 99.00 315   4 TDDEVVQREEEAIQLDGLNASQIR 99.00 316   1 TVLDLAVVLFETATLR 99.00 317   1 VFITDDFHDMIMPK 99.00 318   2 spt|P27482 Calmodulin  20.27  5 AADTDGDGQVNYEEFVR 99.00 319   4 related  protein-NB1 ADQLTEEQVTEFK 99.00 320   4 LSDEEVDEMIR 99.00 321   1 SLGQNPTEAELR 99.00 322   2 VFDKDGNGFVSAAELR 99.00 323   5 spt|P30086 PE Binding  15.05  3 GNDISSGTVLSDYVGSGPPK 99.00 324   1 protein  PEBP LYTLVLTDPDAPSR 99.00 325   1 VLTPTQVK 99.00 326   1 spt|P31151 S100A7 24.00  4 GTNYLADVFEK 99.00 327   1 KIDFSEFLSLLGDIATDYHK 99.00 328   3 QSHGAAPCSGGSQ 99.00 329   1 SIIGMIIDMFHK 99.00 330   2 spt|P31947 Stretifin 26.24 16 DSTLIMQLLR 99.00 331  52 EKVETELQGVCDTVLGLLDSHLIK 99.00 332  13 EKVETELQGVCDTVLGLLDSHLIKEAGD 99.00 333   2 EMPFTNPIR 99.00 334   4 GAVEKGEELSCEER 99.00 335  38 GEELSCEER 99.00 336   7 GSEEKGPEVR 97.00 337   1 LAEQAER 99.00 338   2 NLLSVAYK 99.00 339  62 SAYQEAMDISKK 99.00 340   1 SNEEGSEEKGPEVR 99.00 341  42 TTFDEAMADLHTLSEDSYK 99.00 342   4 VETELQGVCDTVLGLLDSHLIK 99.00 343   2 VLSSIEQK 99.00 344  26 YEDMAAFMK 99.00 345   2 YLAEVATGDDK 99.00 346   9 spt|P60709 Beta Actin 27.47 21 AGFAGDDAPR 99.00 347  83 AVFPSIVGR 99.00 348  14 AVFPSIVGRPR 99.00 349  73 DDDIAALVVDNGSGMCK 99.00 350  20 DLYANTVLSGGTTMYPGIADR 99.00 351   8 DSYVGDEAQSK 99.00 352  29 DSYVGDEAQSKR 99.00 353  36 EITALAPSTMK 99.00 354  34 GYSFTTTAER 99.00 355   5 HQGVMVGMGQK 99.00 356   4 IIAPPER 97.00 357   7 tWHHTFYNELR 98.00 358   4 LCYVALDFEQEMATAASSSSLEK 99.00 359  12 LDLAGRDLTDYLMKILTERGYSFTTTAEF 97.00 360   2 QEYDESGPSIVHR 99.00 361   1 SYELPDGQVITIGNER 99.00 362 199 TEAPLNPK 99.00 363  37 TTGIVMDSGDGVTHTVPIYEGYALPHAIL 99.00 364   3 VAPEEHPVLL 99.00 365   2 VAPEEHPVLLTEAPLNPK 99.00 366  48 YPIEHGIVTNWDDMEK 99.00 367   7 spt|P61978 hetero-   2.38  3 DLAGSIIGK 99.00 368   2 geneous nuclear  protein K IDEPLEGSEDR 99.00 369   1 ILSISADIETIGEILK 96.00 370   2 spt|Q01469 FABP5 28.15  5 ATVQQLEGR 99.00 371   7 ELGVGIALR 99.00 372  17 FEETTADGR 99.00 373   3 GFDEYMK 96.00 374   4 TTQFSCTLGEKFEETTADGR 99.00 375   1 trm|O15256 Parathy- 19.05  1 AAEEEDEADPKR 99.00 376   8 mosin trm|Q12771 P37AUF1*  2.80  1 GFGFVLFK 99.00 377   5 trm|Q6NSB4 Hp    3.20  1 VGYVSGWGR 99.00 378   2 Protein, DLC1 spt|P63104 YWHAZ 13.75  8 DSTLIMQLLR 99.00 379  50 GIVDQSQQAYQEAFEISK 99.00 380   1 LAEQAER 99.00 381   2 NLLSVAYK 99.00 382  59 SVTEQGAELSNEER 99.00 383   7 TAFDEAIAELDTLSEESYK 99.00 384   4 VVSSIEQK 99.00 385  10 YLAEVAAGDDKK 99.00 386   2 trm|Q8N5F4 NGL2* 23.81  4 AGVETTTPSK 99.00 387  21 DTERPSGIPER 98.00 388   1 SYELTQPPSVSVSPGQTAR 99.00 389   2 SYSCQVTHEGSTVEK 99.00 390  17 spt|P06396 Gelsolin   2.30  2 AQPVQVAEGSEPDGFWEALGGK 99.00 391   1 Precursor TPSAAYLWVGTGASEAEK 99.00 392   6 amb|CAA25833.1 eraide- 18.72  8 AGAHLQGGAK 99.00 393  11 hyde3-  phosphate Dehydrogen GALQNIIPASTGAAK 99.00 394  19 LTGMAFR 98.00 395   3 QASEGPLK 99.00 396   9 TVDGPSGK 99.00 397   4 VIPELDGK 99.00 398  16 VPTANVSVVDLTCR 99.00 399  10 VVDLMAHMASKE 99.00 400   2 spt|P14618 PKM2*  9.04  8 APIIAVTR 99.00 401  10 GADFLVTEVENGGSLGSK 99.00 402   1 GDLGIEIPAEK 99.00 403   6 GDYPLEAVR 99.00 404   2 IENHEGVR 99.00 405   5 KASDVHEVR 99.00 406   1 LDIDSPPITAR 99.00 407   9 NTGIICTIGPASR 99.00 408   4 spt|P04792 Hsp27* 18.85  5 AQLGGPEAAK 99.00 409  21 LATQSNEITIPVTFESR 99.00 410   9 QDEHGYISR 99.00 411   6 QLSSGVSEIR 99.00 412   1 VSLDVNHFAPDELTVK 99.00 413   8 spt|P09651 ROA1-  7.50  2 EDSQRPGAHLTVK 99.00 414   3 HNRNPA1* SESPKEPEQLR 99.00 415   4 spt|P13639 Elongation   1.17  2 GEGQLGPAER 99.00 416   1 Factor 2* SDPVVSYR 99.00 417   1 spt|P14625 HSP9081  3.74 10 DDEVDVDGTVEEDLGK 99.00 418   5 EFEPLLNWMK 99.00 419   4 EVEEDEYK 99.00 420   3 FAFQAEVNR 99.00 421   1 KEAESSPFVER 99.00 422   4 VGVIEDHSNR 99.00 423   3 LISLTDENALSGNEELTVK 99.00 424   4 TDDEVVQREEEAIQLDGLNASQIR 99.00 425   1 TVLDLAVVLFETATLR 99.00 426   1 VFITDDFHDMMPK 99.00 427   2 spt|P22392 NDP  11.54  2 GLVGEIK 99.00 428   4 Kinase B* NIHGSDSVK 99.00 429   1 spt|P23528 Coflin*  4.82  4 ASGVAVSDGVIK 99.00 430  24 spt|P31940 Calgizzarin  8.57  2 ISSPTETER 98.00 431   1 NQKDPGVLDR 99.00 432   2 spt|P32119 Peroxi-   4.04  6 ATAVVDGAFK 99.00 433  18 redoxin 2 GLFIIDGK 99.00 434   2 KEGGLGPLNIPLLADVTR 99.00 435   2 LSEDYGVLK 99.00 436   1 QITVNDLPVGR 99.00 437  10 TDEGIAYR 99.00 438   6 prt|0904262A SOD2* 13.73  1 TLVVHEK 93.00 439   1 spt|Q16778 Histone  15.87  3 AMGIMNSFVNDIFER 99.00 440   4 H28.1 LLLPGELAK 99.00 441   7 QVHPDTGISSK 99.00 442  68 OFFLINE gb|AAA59555.1 MARCKS 59.33734775 11 AAEEPSKVEEK 98.99999499 443   2 AEDGATPSPSNETPK 98.00000095 444   3 AEDGATPSPSNETPKK 94.99999881 445   1 AVAPEKPPASDETK 99.99999995 446   1 EAGEGGEAEAPAAEGGK 99.00000095 447   1 EAPAEGEAAEPGSPTAAEGEAASAASS 98.99999499 448   3 EELQANGSAPAADKEEPAAAGSGAASP 99.00000095 449   3 GEAAAERPGEAAVASSPSK 99.00000095 450   6 GEPAAAAAPEAGASPVEK 99.00000095 451   9 GSAPAADKEEPAAAGSGAASPSAAEK 98.99999499 452   1 VNGDASPAAAESGAK 99.00000095 453   7 gb|AAC13869.1 Gluta-  61.90476418  4 AFLASPEYVNLPINGNGKQ 99.00000095 454   2 thione S  Trans- ferase-P ALPGQLKPFETLLSQNQGGK 99.00000095 455  27 ASCLYGQLPK 99.00000095 456   1 FQDGDLTLYQSNTILR 98.00000191 457   1 gb|AAH16768.1 Nucleo-  12.24489808  3 GPSSVEDIK 99.00000095 458   1 phosmin 1 MSVQPTVSLGGFEITPPVVLR 98.99999499 459   1 MTDQEAIQDLWQWR 98.99999499 460   2 pir|KRHUE Cyto-  69.4915235  5 ASLENSLEETK 99.00000095 461   2 keratin 14 DAEEWFFTK 99.00000095 462   2 ILTATVDNANVLLQIDNAR 98.99999499 463   2 KVVSTHEQVLR 99.00000095 464   2 VVSTHEQVLR 99.00000095 465   6 spt|P00338 LDH A 52.58767671 14 ATLKDQLIYNLLKEEQTPQNK 98.99999499 466   8 DQLIYNLLK 98.99999499 467   2 DQLIYNLLKEEQTPQNK 99.00000095 468   2 FIIPNVVK 94.99999881 469   2 GEMMDLQHGSLFLR 98.99999499 470   2 KSADTLWGIQK 97.99999695 471   2 LVIITAGAR 99.00000095 472  20 OVVESAYEVIK 99.00000095 473  32 RVHPVSTMIK 99.00000095 474   8 SADTLWGIQK 99.00000095 475   3 TLHPDLGTDKDKEQWK 98.99999499 476   2 VHPVSTMIK 99.00000095 477   2 VIGSGCNLDSAR 99.00000095 478  31 VTLTSEEEAR 99.00000095 479  55 spt|P00915 Carbonic  66.15384817 13 ASPDWGYDDK 99.00000095 480   2 anhydrasel ASPDWGYDDKNGPEQIVSK 99.00000095 481   3 EIINVGHSFHVNFEDNDNR 99.00000095 482  71 GGPFSDSYR 99.00000095 483   2 HDTSLKPISV 99.00000095 484   1 HDTSLKPISVSYNPATAK 99.00000095 485  49 LYPIANGNNQSPVDIK 99.00000095 486  31 SAELHVAHWNSAK 99.00000095 487   3 SLLSNVEGDNAVPMQHNNRPTQPLK 99.00000095 488  73 SSSEQLAQFR 99.00000095 489   2 VLDALQAIK 99.00000095 490   6 YSAELHVAHWNSAK 99.00000095 491  22 YSSLAEAASK 99.00000095 492   3 spt|P01009 Alpha 1  55.74162602  9 DTEEEDFHVDQVTTVK 99.00000095 493   7 Anti-  Trypsin Precursor EDPQGDAAQK 98.00000191 494   1 GTEAAGAMFLEAIPM 95.99999785 495   1 KLSSWVLLMK 98.9999969 496   1 LGMFNIQHCK 99.00000095 497   1 LQHLENELTHDIITK 98.99999499 498   3 LSITGTYDLK 99.00000095 499   2 LVDKFLEDVK 99.99999499 500   1 VFSNGADLSGVTEEAPLK 99.00000095 501  15 spt|P04063 Annexin A1 75.36231875 14 AAYLQETGKPLDETLK 99.00000095 502  10 AAYLQETGKPLDETLKK 99.00000095 503  35 ALYEAGER 99.00000095 504   8 CATSKPAFFAEK 99.00000095 505   4 DITSDTSGDFR 99.00000095 506  40 GGPGSAVSPYPTFNPSSDVAALHK 99.00000095 507  14 GLGTDEDTLIEILASR 99.00000095 508 427 GTDVNVFNTILTTR 99.00000095 509  25 GVDEATIIDILTK 99.00000095 510  75 KGTDVNVFNTILTTR 99.00000095 511  14 NALLSLAK 98.00000191 512   2 SEDFGVNEDLADSDAR 99.00000095 513  25 SEIDMNDIK 99.00000095 514   1 TPAQFDADELR 99.00000095 515  12 spt|P04792 Hsp27 34.55497324  7 DGVVEITGK 99.00000095 516   4 KYTLPPGVDPTQVSSSLSPEGTLTVEAP 99.00000095 517     5 LATQSNEITIPVTFESR 98.99999499 518  14 QDEHGYISR 95.99999785 519   2 QLSSGVSEIR 98.99999499 520   2 TKDGVVEITGK 99.00000095 521   6 VSLDVNHFAPDELTVK 99.00000095 522  15 spt|P06454 Prothy-  23.63636345  6 AAEDDEDDDVDTK 98.00000191 523   1 mosin alpha AAEDDEDDDVDTKK 98.99999499 524   1 EVVEEAENGR 99.00000095 525  13 EVVEEAENGRDAPAN 98.99999499 526   1 KEVVEEAENGR 99.00000095 527   1 SDAAVDTSSEITTK 99.00000095 528  54 spt|P07585 Decorin  38.16158089  5 DLPPDTTLLDLQNNK 99.00000095 529   7 Precursor NLHALILVNNK 99.00000095 530   3 SSGIENGAFQGMK 99.00000095 531   3 VSPGAFTPLVK 99.00000095 532   3 VVQCSDLGLDKVPK 99.00000095 533   3 spt|P06670 Vismentin 63.21585774 29 ADLSEAANR 98.00000191 534   1 DGQVINETSQHHDDLE 98.99999499 535   6 DNLAEDIMR 99.00000095 536   9 EEAENTLQSFR 99.00000095 537   6 EKLQEEMLQR 98.99999499 538   1 EMEENFAVEAANYQDTIGR 98.99999499 539  16 ETNLDSLPLVDTHSK 98.99999499 540   4 EYQDLLNVK 98.99999499 541   2 FADLSEAANR 99.00000095 542   7 ILLAELEQLK 98.99999499 543  18 ILLAELEQLKGQGK 98.99999499 544  14 ISLPLPNFSSLNLR 98.99999499 545  55 KLLEGEESR 98.99999499 546   1 KVESLQEEIAFLK 98.99999499 547  15 KVESLQEEIAFLKK 98.99999499 548   1 LGDLYEEEMR 99.00000095 549   7 LLQDSVDFSLADAINTEFK 98.99999499 550  18 LQDEIQNMKEEMAR 98.99999499 551   4 LQEEMLQR 99.00000095 552   4 NLDSLPLVDTHSK 98.99999499 553   2 NLQEAEEWYK 98.99999499 554   4 QDVDNASLAR 99.00000095 555  78 QQYESVAAK 97.99999595 556   2 QVDQLTNDK 98.00000191 557   2 QVQSLTCEVDALK 98.99999499 558   8 RQVDQLTNDK 97.99999595 559   1 TVETRDGQVINETSQHHDDLE 98.99999499 560   2 VELQELNDR 98.99999499 561   5 VEVERDNLAEDIMR 98.99999499 562   2 spt|P14625 GRP 94 26.40099525 14 DDEVDVDGTVEEDLGK 98.99999499 563   2 EFEPLLNWMK 96.9999969 564   2 EGVKFDESEK 98.99999499 565   2 ELISNASDALDK 99.00000095 566   1 FQSSHRPTDITSLDQYVER 99.00000095 567   2 GLFDEYGSK 99.00000095 568   1 GVVDSDDLPLNVSR 99.00000095 569  21 KIADDKYNDTFWK 98.99999499 570   2 LGVIEDHSNR 99.00000095 571   1 LISLTDENALSGNEELTVK 98.99999499 572   6 NLLHVTDTGVGVTR 98.99999499 573   6 RVFITDDFHDMMPK 99.00000095 574   3 SILFVPTSAPR 98.99999499 575   9 VFITDDFHDMMPK 98.99999499 576   2 spt|P29034 S100A 2 27.83505023  6 ELPSFVGEK 99.00000095 577   6 ELPSFVGEKVDEEGLK 99.00000095 578  14 ELPSFVGEKVDEEGLKK 99.00000095 579  13 GEKVDEEGLK 94.99999881 580   1 VDEEGLKK 98.99999499 581   6 YSCQEGDKFK 99.00000095 582   7 spt|P30043 Flavin  39.51219616  7 CLTTDEYDGHSTYPSHQYQ 99.00000095 583   1 reductase HDLGHFMLR 99.00000095 584   2 LPSEGPRPAHVVVGDVLQAADVDK 99.00000095 585   9 LQAVTDDHIR 99.00000095 586   1 NDLSPTTVMSEGAR 99.00000095 587  14 PAHVVVGDVLQAADVDK 98.99999499 588   4 TVAGQDAVIVLLGTR 98.99999499 589   4 spt|P31151 S100A 7 98.00000191  7 ENFPNFLSACDKK 99.00000095 590   9 GTNYLADVFEK 99.00000095 591  22 GTNYLADVFEKK 99.00000095 592   7 IDKPSLLTMMK 99.00000095 593   2 KGTNYLADVFEKK 95.99999785 594   2 QSHGAAPCSGGSQ 99.00000095 595   3 SIIGMIIDMFHK 99.00000095 596 300 spt|P31947 SFN 89.35185075 22 ADNAGEEGGEAPQEPQS 99.00000095 597  13 DNLTLWTADNAGEEGGEAPQEPQ 96.9999969 598   2 DNLTLWTADNAGEEGGEAPQEPQS 99.00000095 599  53 DSTLIMQLLR 99.00000095 600 515 EMPFTNPIR 99.00000095 601  14 GAVEKGEELSCEER 99.00000095 602  26 GEELSCEER 99.00000095 603  16 LAEQAER 99.00000095 604   9 NLLSVAYK 99.00000095 605  35 RYLAEVATGDDK 99.00000191 606   1 SAYQEARDISK 99.00000095 607   9 SAYQEAMDISKK 99.00000095 608  29 SNEGSEEKGPEVR 99.00000095 609   9 STLIMQLLR 98.99999499 610   1 SVFHYEIANSPEEAISLAK 98.99999499 611   1 TADNAGEEGGEAPQEPQS 98.99999499 612   6 TIFDEAMADLHTLSEDS 98.99999499 613   1 TTFDEAMADLHTLSEDSYK 99.00000096 614 396 VLSSIEQK 99.00000096 615   6 YEDMAAFMK 99.00000095 616  12 YLAEVATGDDK 99.00000095 617  19 YLAEVATGDDKK 99.99999499 618   2 spt|P31949 Calgizzarin 23.80952386  8 DGYNYTLSK 99.00000095 619   1 ISSPTETER 99.00000096 620  13 TEFLSFMNTELAAFTK 99.00000096 621  15 spt|P32119 Peroxi-  64.64645459 11 ATAVVDGAFK 99.00000095 622   3 redoxin 2 EGGLGPLNIPLLADVTR 99.00000096 623   4 GLFIIDGK 99.00000096 624  14 IGKPAPDFK 98.00000095 625  22 KEGGLGPLNIPLLADVTR 99.00000095 626  21 LSEDYGVLK 99.00000095 627   7 LVQAFQYTDEHGEVCPAGWKPGSDTIK 99.00000095 628  62 QITVNDLPVGR 99.00000095 629  41 QYTDEHGEVCPAGWKPGSDTIKPNVDC 97.00000286 630   1 RLSEDYGVLK 99.00000095 631   5 TDEGIAYR 99.00000095 632  13 spt|P51684 KSPG  56.80473447 13 FNALQYLR 99.00000095 633   7 Lumican ILGPLSYSK 99.00000095 634   3 ISETSLPPDMYECLR 99.00000095 635   4 ISNIPDEYFK 99.00000095 636   4 LKEDAVSAAFK 99.00000095 637   8 LPSGLPVSLLTLYLDNNK 99.00000095 638  17 NIPTVNENLENYYLEVNQLEK 99.00000095 639   5 NNQIDHIDEK 99.00000095 640   2 RFNALQYLR 99.00000095 641   2 SLEDLQLTHNK 99.00000095 642  10 SLEYLDLSFNQIAR 99.00000095 643   8 SVPMVPPGIK 94.99999981 644   1 VANEVTLN 95.99999785 645   1 spt|P60709 Beta Actin 83.46666694 49 AGFAGDDAPR 99.00000095 646  77 ALDFEQEMATAASSSSLEK 99.00000095 647  13 AVFPSIVGR 99.00000095 648  61 AVFPSIVGRPR 99.00000095 649 303 CPEALFQPSFLGMESCGIHETTFNSIMK 98.00000499 650  30 DDDIAALVVDNGSGMCK 99.00000095 651 172 DDIAALVVDNGSGMCK 99.00000095 652   3 DLTDYLMK 99.00000095 653  29 DLYANTVLSGGTTMYPGIADR 99.00000095 654  54 DSYVGDEAQSK 99.00000095 655  39 DSYVGDEAQSKR 99.00000095 656   3 EITALAPSTMK 99.00000095 657  46 GFAGDDAPR 99.00000095 658   1 GIHETTFNSIMK 99.00000095 659   3 GIVTNWDDMEK 99.00000095 660   1 GQKDSYVGDEAQSK 99.00000095 661   8 GYSFTTTAER 99.00000095 662  33 HQGVMVGMGQK 98.99999499 663  14 HQGVMVGMGQKDSYVGDEAQSK 98.00000191 664   1 IIAPPER 97.00000286 665   8 IIAPPERK 99.00000095 666   3 IWHHTFYNELR 99.00000095 667 512 KQLYANTVLSGGTTMYPGIADR 99.00000095 668  99 KQEYDESGPSIVHR 99.00000095 669   2 KYPIEHGIVTNWDDMEK 99.00000095 670   1 LCYVALDFEQEMATAASSSSLEK 98.99999499 671  12 LLTEAPLNPK 99.00000095 672   2 PIEHGIVTNWDDMEK 98.99999499 673   2 QEYDESGPSIVHR 99.00000095 674  36 RVAPEEHPVLLTEAPLNPK 98.99999499 675   2 SGGTTMYPGIADR 99.00000095 676   6 SKQEYDESGPSIVHR 99.00000095 677   2 SYELPDGQVI 99.00000095 678   5 SYELPDGQVITI 98.99999499 679   6 SYELPDGQVITIGNER 99.00000095 680 702 TTGIVMDSGDGVTH 98.99999499 681   4 TTGIVMDSGDGVTHTVPIYEGY 99.00000095 682   5 TTGIVMDSGDGVTHTVPIYEGYALPH 99.00000095 683   1 TTGIVMDSGDGVTHTVPIYEGYALPHAIL 99.00000095 684  69 TVLSGGTTMYPGIADR 99.00000095 685   3 VAPEEHPV 99.00000095 686   9 VAPEEHPVL 97.00000286 687   4 VAPEEHPVLL 99.00000095 688   8 VAPEEHPVLLTEA 98.99999499 689   4 VAPEEHPVLLTEAPLN 98.99999499 690   8 VAPEEHPVLLTEAPLNPK 99.00000095 691 509 VAPEEHPVLLTEAPLNPKANR 99.00000095 692   3 YPIEHGIVTNWDDMEK 99.00000095 693 120 YVALDFEQEMATAASSSSLEK 94.99999881 694   2 spt|Q15891 APC-   8.655223858  1 KPLTSSSAAPQRPISTQR 99.00000095 695  12 binding protein  EB1 trm|Q86U86 Polybromo- 29.01124954  2 AAQQQQPSASPR 98.00000191 696   2 1D RPNETFHLATRK 99.00000095 697   1 trm|Q86V33 YVMAZ 77.49999762 16 DNLTLWTSDTQGDEAEAGEGGEN 99.00000095 698  10 DSTLIMQLLR 99.00000095 699 753 EKIETELR 96.9999969 700   1 GIVDQSQQAYQEAFEISK 99.00000095 701  21 GIVDQSQQAYQEAFEISKK 99.00000095 702  32 LAEQAER 99.00000095 703  10 MDKNELVQK 98.00000191 704   1 NLLSVAYK 99.00000095 705  38 SDTQGDEAEAGEGGEN 99.99999995 706   3 STLIMQLLR 98.99999499 707   2 SVTEQGAELSNEER 99.00000095 708 113 TAFDEAIAELDTLSEESYK 99.00000095 709 899 VVSSIEQK 99.00000095 710   7 YDDMAACMK 99.00000095 711   3 YLAEVAAGDDKK 99.00000095 712  11 trm|Q86Y16 L Ptastin 52.53968239  9 AESMLQQADK 99.00000095 713   1 HVIPMNPNTDDLPK 98.99999499 714   2 IDINMSGFNETDDLKR 98.99999499 715   2 IKVPVDWSK 98.99999499 716   2 MINLSVPDTIDER 94.99999881 717   1 SGNLTEDDKHNNAK 99.00000095 718   4 TISSSLAVVDLIDAIQPGCINYDLVK 98.99999499 719   2 VNKPPYPK 99.00000095 720   1 VYALPEDLVEVKPK 95.00000785 721   2 trm|Q81Z29 Tubulin,  40.67415585 10 ALTVPELTQQMFDAK 98.99999499 722   1 beta, 2 AVLVDLEPGTMDSVR 98.99999499 723   6 EIVHLQAGQCGNQIGAK 98.99999499 724   2 GHYTEGAELVDSVLDVVR 98.99999499 725   4 IMNTFSVVPSPK 98.99999499 726   1 IREEYPDR 97.99999595 727   1 LHFFMPGFAPLTSR 98.99999499 728   7 LTTPTYGDLNHLVSATMSGVTTCLR 98.99999489 729   4 SGPFGQIFRPDNFVFGQSGAGNNWAK 98.99999499 730  34 TAVCDIPPR 98.99999499 731   2 trm|Q96AM7 Superoxide  52.85714269  1 HHAAYVNNLNVTEEK 99.00000095 732   1 dismutase  [Mn] trm|Q96IH1 FSCN1 66.60000086  8 ASAETVDPASLWEY 99.00000095 733   3 DVPWGVDSLITLAFQDQR 98.99999499 734   4 EVPGPDCR 99.00000095 735   1 FLIVAHDDGR 99.00000095 736   3 KVTGTLDANR 98.99999499 737   1 LVARPEPATGYTLEFR 98.99999499 738   2 WSLQSEAHR 94.99999681 739   1 YLAADKDGNVTCER 99.00000095 740   5

TABLE 12 Clinicopathological parameters of patients with Oral Premalignant Lesions (OPLs) Age/Gender Site Tissue Histopathology Tobacco habits A) ITRAQ Analysis: Discovery of Biomarkers 1. 35/F GBS Leukoplakia Dysplasia Areca nut chewing (×5-6 yrs) 2. 42/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Bidi smoking (×10 yrs) 3. 50/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Pan masala and bidi smoking (×15-18 yrs) 4. 42/M GBS Leukoplakia Dysplasia Gutkha chewing (×20 yrs) and Bidi smoking (×6 yrs) 5. 42/M T Leukoplakia Dysplasia Gutkha chewing and bidi smoking (×5 yrs) 6. 50/M SP Leukoplakia Dysplasia Gutkha chewing and bidi smoking (×35 yrs) B) Immunohistochemical Analysis: Verification of Biomarkers 1. 23/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Khaini chewing (×4 yrs) 2. 36/M LIP Leukoplakia Dysplasia Khaini chewing (×10-12 yrs) 3. 40/F GBS Leukoplakia Dysplasia Khaini chewing (×14 yrs) 4. 22/M GBS Leukoplakia Dysplasia Khaini chewing (×5 yrs) 5. 45/F BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Gutkha chewing (×8 yrs) 6. 22/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Gutkha chewing (×3-4 yrs) 7. 50/F GBS Leukoplakia Dysplasia Gutkha chewing (×5 yrs) 8. 18/M GBS Leukoplakia Dysplasia Gutkha and khaini chewing (×5 yrs) 9. 35/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Gutkha and khaini chewing (×10 yrs) 10. 40/F T Leukoplakia Dysplasia Gutkha and khaini chewing (×6 yrs) 11. 31/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Betel quid with khaini chewing (×8 yrs) 12. 42/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Bidi smoking (×18 yrs) 13. 50/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Bidi smoking (×30 yrs) 14. 46/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Bidi smoking (×18 yrs) 15. 54/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Bidi smoking (×27 yrs) 16. 45/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Bidi smoking (×12 yrs) 17. 50/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Bidi smoking (×20 yrs) 18. 35/M T Leukoplakia Dysplasia Bidi smoking (×8 yrs) 19. 55/M T Leukoplakia Dysplasia Bidi smoking (×45 yrs) 20. 43/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Cigarette smoking (×21 yrs) 21. 50/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Cigarette smoking (×11 yrs) 22. 27/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Gutkha chewing (×2 yrs) and cigarette smoking (×5 yrs) 23. 35/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Gutkha and cigarette smoking (×10 yrs) 24. 24/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Gutkha chewing (×3 yrs) and cigarette smoking (×1 yrs) 25. 54/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Ghutka, khaini chewing (×15-16 yrs) and hookah smoking (×15-16 yrs) 26. 36/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Gutkha and pan masala chewing (×8 yrs); bidi smoking (×10-12 yrs) 27. 66/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Gutkha and khaini (×8 yrs) and bidi smoking (5 yrs) 28. 39/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia Betel quid with khaini (×2 yrs) and cigarette smoking (×5 yrs) 29. 45/M A Leukoplakia Dysplasia Betel quid with khaini (×20 yrs) and cigarette smoking (×25 yrs) 30. 70/M BM Leukoplakia Dysplasia No habit of addiction (NHA) All the patients were from India. Abbreviations: M: Male; F: Female; Site: A; Alvcolus, BM: Buccal Mucosa, GBS: Gigivo-buccal sulcus, T: Tongue; SP: Soft palate; ‘Khaini’ is a mixture of tobacco, lime and menthol or aromatic spices; ‘Gutkha’ usually contains powdered tobacco, betel nut, catechu, lime and flavors; Pan masala is a mixture of spices such as cardamon, lime, menthol, catechu and betel nuts; ‘Bidi’ is tobacco hand rolled in Temburini leaf.

TABLE 13 Antibodies used for immunohistochemistry and Western Blotting: sources and dilutions. Dilution Dilution used for used for Western Company Clone ID IHC Blot Antibody Anti-14-3-3ζ Santa Cruz C-16 1:200 1:500 (YWHAZ) Rabbit polyclonal antibody Anti-14-3-3σ (Stratifin) Santa Cruz N-14 1:200 1:200 Goat polyclonal antibody Anti-Psoriasin (S100A7) Santa Cruz 47C1068 1:100 1:200 mouse monoclonal antibody Anti-Pro-thymosinα Santa Cruz N-18 1:75  1:100 (PTHA) Goat polyclonal antibody Anti-hnRNPK mouse Abcam ab23644 1:400 1:400 monoclonal antibody Anti-Tubulin α mouse Santa Cruz B7 — 1:200 monoclonal antibody Secondary Antibody: Goat Anti-rabbit IgG DAKO —  1:5000  1:5000 Rabbit Anti-Goat IgG DAKO —  1:4000  1:4000 Rabbit Anti-Mouse IgG DAKO —  1:2000  1:2000

TABLE 14 RT-PCR Analysis Primers and PCR conditions: Annealing No. of Gene Tempera- amplifi- Product (Accession Primer Sequence ture cation size #) (SEQ ID NO:) (° C.) cycles (bp) 14-3-3ζ 5′-ATGTACTTGGAAAAAGGCCG-3′ 54 32 400 (NM_001135 (SEQ ID NO: 741) 699) 5′-CCCTGCTCTTGAGGAGCTTA-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 742) Stratifin 5′- 57 32 396 (NM_006142) AGAGACACAGAGTCCGGCATTGG- 3′ (SEQ ID NO: 743) 5′- TCCACCTTCTCCCGGTACTCACGC- 3′ (SEQ ID NO: 744) S100A7 5′- 57 32 121 (Psoriasin) CTTCCTTAGTGCCTGTGACAAAAA- (NM_002963) 3′ (SEQ ID NO: 745) 5′- AAGGACAGAAACTCAGAAAAATC AATCT-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 746) Prothymosin 5′- 65 32 326 Alpha ATGTCAGACGCAGCCGTAGACACC (NP_0010927 A-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 747) 55.1) 5′CTAGTCATCCTCGTCGGTCTTCTG- 3′ (SEQ ID NO: 748) HnRNPK 5′AGCAGAGCTCGGAATCTTCCTCT 54 32 123 (NM_002140) T-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 749) 5′ATCAGCACTGAAACCAACCATGC C-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 750) Beta actin 5′- 62 32 421 (NM_001101. CAGCCATGTACGTTGCTATCCAG-3′ 3) (SEQ ID NO: 751) 5′-GTTTCGTGGATGCCACAGGAC-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 752)

TABLE 15 Molecules identified in the Networks and their cellular functions ID Molecules in Network Score Focus genes Top Functions 1 ↑ACTB, Actin, ADRA2C, ALOX15, ANG, COX2, ↓CSTB, 39 15 Molecular DDX1, ERK, ↓ FABP5, ↑HNRPD, ↑ HNRPK, ↑ HSP90B1, Transport, KIF1C, LIMA1, LOX, ↓ MARCKS, MLXIP, NFkB, ↑ NPM1 Cancer, Cellular (includes EG: 4869), PCBP2, PCBP1 (includes Movement EG: 29371), ↑PEBP1, PHACTR1, REM1, ↑S100A7, SAFB, ↓SERPINA1, ↑ SFN, ↑ SOD2, SYNPO2, ↑TUBB, WTAP, YWHAD, ↑YWHAZ 2 AKAP13, AKT1, AKT2, ↑ CALML3, COX2, ↓ DLC1, 15 7 Cancer, Cell-To- ERRFI1, HMG1L1, ↑HNRPD, IGH-1A, ↓IGHG1, IGHG3, Cell Signalling IGKV1-117, IL33, KRT19, KRT72, LCK, LOX, ↑NPM1 and Interaction, (includes EG: 4869), NR3C1, PCAF, PRKDC, ↑PTMS, Hematological RELA, retinoic acid, RGS3, SLC25A4, SLC2A1, System Development SUMO1, TAT, TCL1B, ↑TLR1, TPD52, VAV1, YBX1 and Function

Appendix 1 SEQ ID NO: 23: Stratifin: Accn #P31947 (Up-regulated in OPL and Up-regulated in HNCa) gi|398953|sp|P31947.1|1433S_HUMAN 14-3-3 protein sigma (Stratifin) (Epithelial cell marker protein 1) MERASLIQKAKLAEQAERYEDMAAFMKGAVEKGEELSCEERNLLSVAYKNVVGGQRA AWRVLSSIEQKSNEEGSEEKGPEVREYREKVETELQGVCDTVLGLLDSHLIKEAGDAES RVFYLKMKGDYYRYLAEVATGDDKKRIIDSARSAYQEAMDISKKEMPPTNPIRLGLAL NFSVFHYEIANSPEEAISLAKTTFDEAMADLHTLSEDSYKDSTLIMQLLRDNLTLWTAD NAGEEGGEAPQEPQS SEQ ID NO: 24: YWHAZ: Accn # P63104 (Up-regulated in OPL and Up-regulated in HNCa) gi|52000887|sp|P63104.1|1433Z_HUMAN 14-3-3 protein zeta/delta (Protein kinase C inhibitor protein 1) (KCIP-1) MDKNELVQKAKLAEQAERYDDMAACMKSVTEQGAELSNEERNLLSVAYKNVVGARR SSWRVVSSIEQKTEGAEKKQQMAREYREKIETELRDICNDVLSLLEKFLIPNASQAESKV FYLKMKGDYYRYLAEVAAGDDKKGIVDQSQQAYQEAFEISKKEMQPTHPIRLGLALNF SVFYYEILNSPEKACSLAKTAFDEAIAELDTLSEESYKDSTLIMQLLRDNLTLWTSDTQG DEAEAGEGGEN SEQ ID NO: 753: S100 A2: Accn # P29034 (Up-regulated in HNCa) gi|114152869|sp|P29034.3|S10A2_HUMAN Protein S100-A2 (S100 calcium-binding protein A2) (Protein S-100L) (CAN19) MMCSSLEQALAVLVTTFHKYSCQEGDKFKLSKGEMKELLHKELPSFVGEKVDEEGLKK LMGSLDENSDQQVDFQEYAVFLALITVMCNDFFQGCPDRP SEQ ID NO: 13: S100 A7: Accn # P31151 (Protein of interest Up-regulated in OPL and Up-regulated in HNCa) gi|400892|sp|P31151.3|S10A7_HUMAN Protein S100-A7 (S100 calcium-binding protein A7) (Psoriasin) MSNTQAERSIIGMIDMFHKYTRRDDKIDKPSLLTMMKENFPNFLSACDKKGTNYLADV FEKKDKNEDKKIDFSEFLSLLGDIATDYHKQSHGAAPCSGGSQ SEQ ID NO: 19: Prothymosin alpha: Accn # P06454 (Up-regulated in OPL and Up-regulated in HNCa) gi|135834|sp|P06454.2|PTMA_HUMAN Prothymosin alpha [Contains: Thymosin alpha-1] MSDAAVDTSSEITTKDLKEKKEVVEEAENGRDAPANGNAENEENGEQEADNEVDEEEE EGGEEEEEEEEGDGEEEDGDEDEEAESATGKRAAEDDEDDDVDTKKQKTDEDD SEQ ID NO: 754: Fascin: Accn # Q96IH1 (Up- regulated in HNCa) gi|74732058|sp|Q96IH1|Q96IH1_HUMAN FSCN1 protein SASSTATMTANGTAEAVQIQFGLINCGNKYLTAEAFGFKVNASASSLKKKQIWTLEQPP DEAGSAAVCLRSHLGRYLAADKDGNVTCEREVPGPDCRFLIVAHDDGRWSLQSEAHR RYFGGTEDRLSCFAQTVSPAEKWSVHIAMHPQVNIYSVTRKRYAHLSARPADEIAVDR DVPWGVDSLITLAFQDQRYSVQTADHRFLRHDGRLVARPEPATGYTLEFRSGKVAFRD CEGRYLAPSGPSGTLKAGKATKVGKDELFALEQSCAQVVLQAANERNVSTRQGMDLS ANQDEETDQETFQLEIDRDTKKCAFRTHTGKYWTLTATGGVQSTASSKNASCYFDIEW RDRRITLRASNGKFVTSKKNGQLAASVETAGDSELFLMKLINRPIIVFRGEHGFIGCRKV TGTLDANRSSYDVFQLEFNDGAYNIKDSTGKYWTVGSDSAVTSSGDTPVDFFFEFCDY NKVAIKVGGRYLKGDHAGVLKASAETVDPASLWEY SEQ ID NO: 31: Calgizzarin: Accn # P31949 ((Down- regulated in OPL and Up-regulated in HNCa) gi|1710818|sp|P31949.2|S10AB_HUMAN Protein S100-A11 (S100 calcium-binding protein A11) (Protein S100C) (Calgizzarin) (MLN 70) MAKISSPTETERCIESLIAVFQKYAGKDGYNYTLSKTEFLSFMNTELAAFTKNQKDPGVL DRMMKKLDTNSDGQLDFSEFLNLIGGLAMACHDSFLKAVPSQKRT SEQ ID NO: 755: Maspin: Accn # P36952 (Up- regulated in HNCa) gi|547892|sp|P36952.1|SPB5_HUMAN Serpin B5 precursor (Maspin) (Protease inhibitor 5) MDALQLANSAFAVDLFKQLCEKEPLGNVLFSPICLSTSLSLAQVGAKGDTANEIGQVLH FENVKDIPFGFQTVTSDVNKLSSFYSLKLIKRLYVDKSLNLSTEFISSTKRPYAKELETVD FKDKLEETKGQINNSIKDLTDGHFENILADNSVNDQTKILVVNAAYFVGKWMKKFPESE TKECPFRLNKTDTKPVQMMNMEATFCMGNIDSINCKIIELPFQNKHLSMFILLPKDVEDE STGLEKIEKQLNSESLSQWTNPSTMANAKVKLSIPKFKVEKMIDPKACLENLGLKHIFSE DTSDFSGMSETKGVALSNVIHKVCLEITEDGGDSIEVPGARILQHKDELNADHPFIYIIRH NKTRNIIFFGKFCSP SEQ ID NO: 756: Annexin A8: Accn # P13928 (Up- regulated in HNCa) gi|126302519|sp|P13928.2|ANXA8_HUMAN Annexin A8 (Annexin-8) (Annexin VIII) (Vascular anticoagulant-beta) (VAC-beta) MAWWKAWIEQEGVTVKSSSHFNPDPDAETLYKAMKGIGTNEQAIIDVLTKRSNTQRQQ IAKSFKAQFGKDLTETLKSELSGKFERLIVALMYPPYRYEAKELHDAMKGLGTKEGVIIE ILASRTKNQLREIMKAYEEDYGSSLEEDIQADTSGYLERILVCLLQGSRDDVSSFVDPGL ALQDAQDLYAAGEKIRGTDEMKFITILCTRSATHLLRVFEEYEKIANKSIEDSIKSETHGS LEEAMLTVVKCTQNLHSYFAERLYYAMKGAGTRDGTLIRNIVSRSEIDLNLIKCHFKKM YGKTLSSMIMEDTSGDYKNALLSLVGSDP SEQ ID NO: 1: Calmodulin like protein 5: Accn # Q9NZT1 (Up-regulated in HNCa) gi|14285407|sp|Q9NZT1.1|CALL5_HUMAN Calmodulin-like protein 5 (Calmodulin- like skin protein) MAGELTPEEEAQYKKAFSAVDTDGNGTINAQELGAALKATGKNLSEAQLRKLISEVDS DGDGEISFQEFLTAARKARAGLEDLQVAFRAFDQDGDGHITVDELRRAMAGLGQPLPQ EELDAMIREADVDQDGRVNYEEFARMLAQE SEQ ID NO: 757: GST P: Accn # AAC13869.1 (Up-regulated in HNCa) gi|726098|gb|AAC13869.1| glutathione S-transferase-Plc [Homo sapiens] MPPYTVVYFPVRGRCAALRMLLADQGQSWKEEVVTVETWQEGSLKASCLYGQLPKFQ DGDLTLYQSNTILRHLGRTLGLYGKDQQEAALVDMVNDGVEDLRCKYVSLIYTNYEV GKDDYVKALPGQLKPFETLLSQNQGGKTFIVGDQISFADYNLLDLLLIHEVLAPGCLDA FPLLSAYVGRLSARPKLKAFLASPEYVNLPINGNGKQ SEQ ID NO: 11: LDH A: Accn # P00338 (Up-regulated in HNCa) gi|126047|sp|P00338.2|LDHA_HUMAN L-lactate dehydrogenase A chain (LDH-A) (LDH muscle subunit) (LDH-M) (Renal carcinoma antigen NY-REN-59) (Cell proliferation-inducing gene 19 protein) MATLKDQLIYNLLKEEQTPQNKITVVGVGAVGMACAISILMKDLADELALVDVIEDKL KGEMMDLQHGSLFLRTPKIVSGKDYNVTANSKLVIITAGARQQEGESRLNLVQRNVNIF KFIIPNVVKYSPNCKLLIVSNPVDILTYVAWKISGFPKNRVIGSGCNLDSARFRYLMGER LGVHPLSCHGWVLGEHGDSSVPVWSGMNVAGVSLKTLHPDLGTDKDKEQWKEVHKQ VVESAYEVIKLKGYTSWAIGLSVADLAESIMKNLRRVHPVSTMIKGLYGIKDDVFLSVP CILGQNGISDLVKVTLTSEEEARLKKSADTLWGIQKELQF SEQ ID NO: 9: PPIA: Accn # P62937 (Up-regulated in HNCa) gi|51702775|sp|P62937.2|PPIA_HUMAN Peptidyl- prolyl cis-trans isomerase A (PPIase A) (Rotamase A) (Cyclophilin A) (Cyclosporin A-binding protein) MVNPTVFFDIAVDGEPLGRVSFELFADKVPKTAENFRALSTGEKGFGYKGSCFHRIIPGF MCQGGDFTRHNGTGGKSIYGEKFEDENFILKHTGPGILSMANAGPNTNGSQFFICTAKT EWLDGKHVVFGKVKEGMNIVEAMERFGSRNGKTSKKITIADCGQLE SEQ ID NO: 3: APC binding protein EB1: Accn # Q15691 (Up-regulated in HNCa) gi|20138589|sp|Q15691.3|MARE1_HUMAN Microtubule-associated protein RP/EB family member 1 (APC-binding protein EB1) (End-binding protein 1) (EB1) MAVNVYSTSVTSDNLSRHDMLAWINESLQLNLTKIEQLCSGAAYCQFMDMLFPGSIAL KKVKFQAKLEHEYIQNFKILQAGFKRMGVDKIIPVDKLVKGKFQDNFEFVQWFKKFFD ANYDGKDYDPVAARQGQETAVAPSLVAPALNKPKKPLTSSSAAPQRPISTQRTAAAPK AGPGVVRKNPGVGNGDDEAAELMQQVNVLKLTVEDLEKERDFYFGKLRNIELICQENE GENDPVLQRIVDILYATDEGFVIPDEGGPQEEQEEY SEQ ID NO: 15: SOD (Mn): Accn # AAH16934 (Up-regulated in HNCa) gi|16877367|gb|AAH16934.1| SOD2 protein [Homo sapiens] MLSRAVCGTSRQLAPALGYLGSRQKHSLPDLPYDYGALEPHINAQIMQLHHSKHHAAY VNNLNVTEEKYQEALAKGRFQAERREAVPGRGDPREPGPIRTGLSVEENSLRICTGSEFS RHDSLSFKHMVYLIVEGVPRWV SEQ ID NO: 7: L-Plastin: Accn # P13797 (Up-regulated in HNCa) gi|2506254|sp|P13797.3|PLST_HUMAN Plastin-3 (T-plastin) MATTQISKDELDELKEAFAKVDLNSNGFICDYELHELFKEANMPLPGYKVREIIQKLML DGDRNKDGKISFDEFVYIFQEVKSSDIAKTFRKAINRKEGICALGGTSELSSEGTQHSYSE EEKYAFVNWINKALENDPDCRHVIPMNPNTDDLFKAVGDGIVLCKMINLSVPDTIDERA INKKKLTPFIIQENLNLALNSASAIGCHVVNIGAEDLRAGKPHLVLGLLWQIIKIGLFADIE LSRNEALAALLRDGETLEELMKLSPEELLLRWANFHLENSGWQKINNFSADIKDSKAYF HLLNQIAPKGQKEGEPRIDINMSGFNETDDLKRAESMLQQADKLGCRQFVTPADVVSG NPKLNLAFVANLFNKYPALTKPENQDIDWTLLEGETREERTFRNWMNSLGVNPHVNHL YADLQDALVILQLYERIKVPVDWSKVNKPPYPKLGANMKKLENCNYAVELGKHPAKF SLVGIGGQDLNDGNQTL TLALVWQLMRRYTLNVLEDLGDGQKANDDIIVNWVNRTLSEAGKSTSIQSFKDKTISSS LAVVDLIDAIQPGCINYDLVKSGNLTEDDKHNNAKYAVSMARRIGARVYALPEDLVEV KPKMVMTVFACLMGRGMKRV SEQ ID NO: 10: PACAP: Accn # Q8WU39 (Down-regulated in HNCa) gi|74730663|sp|Q8WU39|Q8WU39_HUMAN PACAP protein MRLSLPLLLLLLGAWAIPGGLGDRAPLTATAPQLDDEEMYSAHMPAHLRCDACRAVA YQMWQNLAKAETKLHTSNSGGRRELSELVYTDVLDRSCSRNWQDYGVREVDQVKRL TGPGLSEGPEPSISVMVTGGPWPTRLSRTCLHYLGEFGEDQIYEAHQQGRGALEALLCG GPQGACSEKVSATREEL SEQ ID NO: 6: Histone H3: Accn # Q71DI3 (Down-regulated in HNCa) gi|74758899|sp|Q71DI3.3|H32_HUMAN Histone H3.2 (H3/m) (H3/o) MARTKQTARKSTGGKAPRKQLATKAARKSAPATGGVKKPHRYRPGTVALREIRRYQK STELLIRKLPFQRLVREIAQDFKTDLRFQSSAVMALQEASEAYLVGLFEDTNLCAIHAKR VTIMPKDIQLARRIRGERA SEQ ID NO: 8: Histone H4: Accn # P62805 (Down-regulated in HNCa) gi|51317339|sp|P62805.2|H4_HUMAN Histone H4 MSGRGKGGKGLGKGGAKRHRKVLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVL KVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKTVTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG SEQ ID NO: 16: Alpha-1-antitrypsin: Accn # P01009 (Down-regulated in OPL and Down- regulated in HNCa) gi|1703025|sp|P01009.3|A1AT_HUMAN Alpha-1- antitrypsin precursor (Alpha-1 protease inhibitor) (Alpha-1-antiproteinase) MPSSVSWGILLLAGLCCLVPVSLAEDPQGDAAQKTDTSHHDQDHPTFNKITPNLAEFAF SLYRQLAHQSNSTNIFFSPVSIATAFAMLSLGTKADTHDEILEGLNFNLTEIPEAQIHEGF QELLRTLNQPDSQLQLTTGNGLFLSEGLKLVDKFLEDVKKLYHSEAFTVNFGDTEEAKK QINDYVEKGTQGKIVDLVKELDRDTVFALVNYIFFKGKWERPFEVKDTEEEDFHVDQV TTVKVPMMKRLGMFNIQHCKKLSSWVLLMKYLGNATAIFFLPDEGKLQHLENELTHDI ITKFLENEDRRSASLHLPKLSITGTYDLKSVLGQLGITKVFSNGADLSGVTEEAPLKLSKA VHKAVLTIDEKGTEAAGAMFLEAIPMSIPPEVKFNKPFVFLMIEQNTKSPLFMGKVVNPT QK SEQ ID NO: 12: KPSG lumican: Accn # P51884 (Down-regulated in HNCa) gi|20141464|sp|P51884.2|LUM_HUMAN Lumican precursor (Keratan sulfate proteoglycan lumican) (KSPG lumican) MSLSAFTLFLALIGGTSGQYYDYDFPLSIYGQSSPNCAPECNCPESYPSAMYCDELKLKS VPMVPPGIKYLYLRNNQIDHIDEKAFENVTDLQWLILDHNLLENSKIKGRVFSKLKQLK KLHINHNNLTESVGPLPKSLEDLQLTHNKITKLGSFEGLVNLTFIHLQHNRLKEDAVSAA FKGLKSLEYLDLSFNQIARLPSGLPVSLLTLYLDNNKISNIPDEYFKRFNALQYLRLSHNE LADSGIPGNSFNVSSLVELDLSYNKLKNIPTVNENLENYYLEVNQLEKFDIKSFCKILGPL SYSKIKHLRLDGNRISETSLPPDMYECLRVANEVTLN SEQ ID NO: 5: Mast cell tryptase beta III: Accn # Q96RZ7 (Down-regulated in HNCa) gi|74761085|sp|Q96RZ7|Q96RZ7_HUMAN Mast cell tryptase beta III MLNLLLLALPVLASRAYAAPAPGQALQRVGIVGGQEAPRSKWPWQVSLRVRDRYWM HFCGGSLIHPQWVLTAAHCVGPDVKDLAALRVQLREQHLYYQDQLLPVSRIIVHPQFYT AQIGADIALLELEEPVNVSSHVHTVTLPPASETFPPGMPCWVTGWGDVDNDERLPPPFP LKQVKVPIMENHICDAKYHLGAYTGDDVRIVRDDMLCAGNTRRDSCQVATAPHTFPAP S SEQ ID NO: 20: Histone H2B.1: Accn # Q16778 (Up-regulated in OPL and Down- regulated in HNCa) gi|7387736|sp|Q16778.3|H2B2E_HUMAN Histone H2B type 2-E (H2B.q) (H2B/q) (H2B-GL105) MPEPAKSAPAPKKGSKKAVTKAQKKDGKKRKRSRKESYSIYVYKVLKQVHPDTGISSK AMGIMNSFVNDIFERIAGEASRLAHYNKRSTITSREIQTAVRLLLPGELAKHAVSEGTKA VTKYTSSK SEQ ID NO: 758: Vimentin: Accn # P08670 (Down-regulated in HNCa) gi|55977767|sp|P08670.4|VIME_HUMAN Vimentin MSTRSVSSSSYRRMFGGPGTASRPSSSRSYVTTSTRTYSLGSALRPSTSRSLYASSPGGVY ATRSSAVRLRSSVPGVRLLQDSVDFSLADAINTEFKNTRTNEKVELQELNDRFANYIDK VRFLEQQNKILLAELEQLKGQGKSRLGDLYEEEMRELRRQVDQLTNDKARVEVERDNL AEDIMRLREKLQEEMLQREEAENTLQSFRQDVDNASLARLDLERKVESLQEEIAFLKKL HEEEIQELQAQIQEQHVQIDVDVSKPDLTAALRDVRQQYESVAAKNLQEAEEWYKSKF ADLSEAANRNNDALRQAKQESTEYRRQVQSLTCEVDALKGTNESLERQMREMEENFA VEAANYQDTIGRLQDEIQNMKEEMARHLREYQDLLNVKMALDIEIATYRKLLEGEESRI SLPLPNFSSLNLRETNLDSLPLVDTHSKRTLLIKTVETRDGQVINETSQHHDDLE SEQ ID NO: 14: Peroxiredoxin 2: Accn # P32119 (Down-regulated in OPL and Down- regulated in HNCa) gi|2507169|sp|P32119.5|PRDX2_HUMAN Peroxiredoxin-2 (Thioredoxin peroxidase 1) (Thioredoxin-dependent peroxide reductase 1) (Thiol-specific antioxidant protein) (TSA) (PRP) (Natural killer cell-enhancing factor B) (NKEF-B) MASGNARIGKPAPDFKATAVVDGAFKEVKLSDYKGKYVVLFFYPLDFTFVCPTEIIAFS NRAEDFRKLGCEVLGVSVDSQFTHLAWINTPRKEGGLGPLNIPLLADVTRRLSEDYGVL KTDEGIAYRGLFIIDGKGVLRQITVNDLPVGRSVDEALRLVQAFQYTDEHGEVCPAGWK PGSDTIKPNVDDSKEYFSKHN SEQ ID NO: 4: Carbonic anhydrase I: Accn # P00915 (Down-regulated in HNCa) gi|115449|sp|P00915.2|CAH1_HUMAN Carbonic anhydrase 1 (Carbonic anhydrase I) (Carbonate dehydratase I) (CA-I) MASPDWGYDDKNGPEQWSKLYPIANGNNQSPVDIKTSETKHDTSLKPISVSYNPATAK EIINVGHSFHVNFEDNDNRSVLKGGPFSDSYRLFQFHFHWGSTNEHGSEHTVDGVKYSA ELHVAHWNSAKYSSLAEAASKADGLAVIGVLMKVGEANPKLQKVLDALQAIKTKGKR APFTNFDPSTLLPSSLDFWTYPGSLTHPPLYESVTWIICKESISVSSEQLAQFRSLLSNVEG DNAVPMQHNNRPTQPLKGRTVRASF SEQ ID NO: 759: Flavin reductase: Accn # P30043 (Down-regulated in HNCa) gi|1706870|sp|P30043.3|BLVRB_HUMAN Flavin reductase (FR) (NADPH-dependent diaphorase) (NADPH-flavin reductase) (FLR) (Biliverdin reductase B) (BVR-B) (Biliverdin-IX beta- reductase) (Green heme-binding protein) (GHBP) MAVKKIAIFGATGQTGLTTLAQAVQAGYEVTVLVRDSSRLPSEGPRPAHVVVGDVLQA ADVDKTVAGQDAVIVLLGTRNDLSPTTVMSEGARNIVAAMKAHGVDKVVACTSAFLL WDPTKVPPRLQAVTDDHIRMHKVLRESGLKYVAVMPPHIGDQPLTGAYTVTLDGRGPS RVISKHDLGHFMLRCLTTDEYDGHSTYPSHQYQ SEQ ID NO: 760: Cytokeratin 14: Accn # NP_000517 (Up-regulated in HNCa) gi|15431310|ref|NP_000517.2|keratin 14 [Homo sapiens] MTTCSRQFTSSSSMKGSCGIGGGIGGGSSRISSVLAGGSCRAPSTYGGGLSVSSSRFSSGG AYGLGGGYGGGFSSSSSSFGSGFGGGYGGGLGAGLGGGFGGGFAGGDGLLVGSEKVT MQNLNDRLASYLDKVRALEEANADLEVKIRDWYQRQRPAEIKDYSPYFKTIEDLRNKIL TATVDNANVLLQIDNARLAADDFRTKYETELNLRMSVEADINGLRRVLDELTLARADL EMQIESLKEELAYLKKNHEEEMNALRGQVGGDVNVEMDAAPGVDLSRILNEMRDQYE KMAEKNRKDAEEWFFTKTEELNREVATNSELVQSGKSEISELRRTMQNLEIELQSQLSM KASLENSLEETKGRYCMQLAQIQEMIGSVEEQLAQLRCEMEQQNQEYKILLDVKTRLE QEIATYRRLLEGEDAHLSSSQFSSGSQSSRDVTSSSRQIRTKVMDVHDGKVVSTHEQVL RTKN SEQ ID NO: 2: Polybromo-ID: Accn # Q86U86 (Down-regulated in HNCa) gi|73921624|sp|Q86U86.1|PB1_HUMAN Protein polybromo-1 (hPB1) (Polybromo-1D) (BRG1- associated factor 180) (BAF180) MGSKRRRATSPSSSVSGDFDDGHHSVSTPGPSRKRRRLSNLPTVDPIAVCHELYNTIRDY KDEQGRLLCELFIRAPKRRNQPDYYEVVSQPIDLMKIQQKLKMEEYDDVNLLTADFQLL FNNAKSYYKPDSPEYKAACKLWDLYLRTRNEFVQKGEADDEDDDEDGQDNQGTVTE GSSPAYLKEILEQLLEAIVVATNPSGRLISELFQKLPSKVQYPDYYAIIKEPIDLKTIAQRIQ NGSYKSIHAMAKDIDLLAKNAKTYNEPGSQVFKDANSIKKIFYMKKAEIEHHEMAKSSL RMRTPSNLAAARLTGPSHSKGSLGEERNPTSKYYRNKRAVQGGRLSAITMALQYGSES EEDAALAAARYEEGESEAESITSFMDVSNPFYQLYDTVRSCRNNQGQLIAEPFYHLPSK KKYPDYYQQIKMPISLQQIRTKLKNQEYETLDHLECDLNLMFENAKRYNVPNSAIYKRV LKLQQVMQAKKKELARRDDIEDGDSMISSATSDTGSAKRKSKKNIRKQRMKILFNVVL EAREPGSGRRLCDLFMVKPSKKDYPDYYKIILEPMDLKIIEHNIRNDKYAGEEGMIEDM KLMFRNARHYNEEGSQVYNDAHILEKLLKEKRKELGPLPDDDDMASPKLKLSRKSGISP KKSKYMTPMQQKLNEVYEAVKNYTDKRGRRLSAIFLRLPSRSELPDYYLTIKKPMDME KIRSHMMANKYQDIDSMVEDFVMMFNNACTYNEPESLIYKDALVLHKVLLETRRDLE GDEDSHVPNVTLLIQELIHNLFVSVMSHQDDEGRCYSDSLAEIPAVDPNFPNKPPLTFDII RKNVENNRYRRLDLFQEHMFEVLERARRMNRTDSEIYEDAVELQQFFIKIRDELCKNGE ILLSPALSYTTKHLHNDVEKERKEKLPKEIEEDKLKREEEKREAEKSEDSSGAAGLSGLH RTYSQDCSFKNSMYHVGDYVYVEPAEANLQPHIVCIERLWEDSAGEKWLYGCWFYRP NETFHLATRKFLEKEVFKSDYYNKVPVSKILGKCVVMFVKEYFKLCPENFRDEDVFVCE SRYSAKTKSFKKIKLWTMPISSVRFVPRDVPLPVVRVASVFANADKGDDEKNTDNSEDS RAEDNFNLEKEKEDVPVEMSNGEPGCHYFEQLHYNDMWLKVGDCVFIKSHGLVRPRV GRIEKVWVRDGAAYFYGPIFIHPEETEHEPTKMFYKKEVFLSNLEETCPMTCILGKCAVL SFKDFLSCRPTEIPENDILLCESRYNESDKQMKKFKGLKRFSLSAKVVDDEIYYFRKPIVP QKEPSPLLEKKIQLLEAKFAELEGGDDDIEEMGEEDSEVIEPPSLPQLQTPLASELDLMPY TPPQSTPKSAKGSAKKEGSKRKINMSGYILFSSEMRAVIKAQHPDYSFGELSRLVGTEW RNLETAKKAEYEERAAKVAEQQERERAAQQQQPSASPRAGTPVGALMGVVPPPTPMG MLNQQLTPVAGMMGGYPPGLPPLQGPVDGLVSMGSMQPLHPGGPPPHHLPPGVPGLP GIPPPGVMNQGVAPMVGTPAPGGSPYGQQVGVLGPPGQQAPPPYPGPHPAGPPVIQQPT TPMFVAPPPKTQRLLHSEAYLKYIEGLSAESNSISKWDQTLAARRRDVHLSKEQESRLPS HWLKSKGAHTTMADALWRLRDLMLRDTLNIRQAYNLENV SEQ ID NO: 22: PK M2: Accn # P14618 (Up-regulated in OPL and Up-regulated in many cancers and possibly HNCa) gi|20178296|sp|P14618.4|KPYM_HUMAN Pyruvate kinase isozymes M1/M2 (Pyruvate kinase muscle isozyme) (Pyruvate kinase 2/3) (Cytosolic thyroid hormone-binding protein) (CTHBP) (THBP1) MSKPHSEAGTAFIQTQQLHAAMADTFLEHMCRLDIDSPPITARNTGIICTIGPASRSVETL KEMIKSGMNVARLNFSHGTHEYHAETIKNVRTATESFASDPILYRPVAVALDTKGPEIRT GLIKGSGTAEVELKKGATLKITLDNAYMEKCDENILWLDYKNICKVVEVGSKIYVDDG LISLQVKQKGADFLVTEVENGGSLGSKKGVNLPGAAVDLPAVSEKDIQDLKFGVEQDV DMVFASFIRKASDVHEVRKVLGEKGKNIKIISKIENHEGVRRFDEILEASDGIMVARGDL GIEIPAEKVFLAQKMMIGRCNRAGKPVICATQMLESMIKKPRPTRAEGSDVANAVLDGA DCIMLSGETAKGDYPLEAVRMQHLIAREAEAAIYHLQLFEELRRLAPITSDPTEATAVGA VEASFKCCSGAIIVLTKSGRSAHQVARYRPRAPIIAVTRNPQTARQAHLYRGIFPVLCKD PVQEAWAEDVDLRVNFAMNVGKARGFFKKGDVVIVLTGWRPGSGFTNTMRVVPVP SEQ ID NO: 761: Annexin A1: Accn # P04083 (Up-regulated in HNCa) gi|113944|sp|P04083.2|ANXA1_HUMAN Annexin A1 (Annexin-1) (Annexin I) (Lipocortin I) (Calpactin II) (Chromobindin-9) (p35) (Phospholipase A2 inhibitory protein) MAMVSEFLKQAWFIENEEQEYVQTVKSSKGGPGSAVSPYPTFNPSSDVAALHKAIMVK GVDEATIIDILTKRNNAQRQQIKAAYLQETGKPLDETLKKALTGHLEEVVLALLKTPAQ FDADELRAAMKGLGTDEDTLIEILASRTNKEIRDINRVYREELKRDLAKDITSDTSGDFR NALLSLAKGDRSEDFGVNEDLADSDARALYEAGERRKGTDVNVFNTILTTRSYPQLRR VFQKYTKYSKHDMNKVLDLELKGDIEKCLTAIVKCATSKPAFFAEKLHQAMKGVGTR HKALIRIMVSRSEIDMNDIKAFYQKMYGISLCQAILDETKGDYEKILVALCGGN SEQ ID NO: 21: Nucleophosmin I: Accn # AAH16768.1 (Up-regulated in HNCa) gi|16876992|gb|AAH16768.1|Nucleophosmin (nucleolar phosphoprotein B23, numatrin) [Homo sapiens] MEDSMDMDMSPLRPQNYLFGCELKADKDYHFKVDNDENEHQLSLRTVSLGAGAKDE LHIVEAEAMNYEGSPIKVTLATLKMSVQPTVSLGGFEITPPVVLRLKCGSGPVHISGQHL VAVEEDAESEDEEEEDVKLLSISGKRSAPGGGSKVPQKKVKLAADEDDDDDDEEDDDE DDDGDDFDDEEAEEKAPVKKSIRDTPAKNAQKSNQNGKDSKPSSTPRSKGQESFKKQE KTPKTPKGPSSVEDIKAKMQASIEKGGSLPKVEAKFINCVKNCFRMTDQEAIQDLWQW RKSL SEQ ID NO: 35: Hsp 27: Accn # P04792 (Up- regulated in OPL and Up-regulated in HNCa) gi|19855073|sp|P04792.2|HSPB1_HUMAN Heat shock protein beta-1 (HspB1) (Heat shock 27 kDa protein) (HSP 27) (Stress-responsive protein 27) (SRP27) (Estrogen-regulated 24 kDa protein) (28 kDa heat shock protein) MTERRVPFSLLRGPSWDPFRDWYPHSRLFDQAFGLPRLPEEWSQWLGGSSWPGYVRPL PPAAIESPAVAAPAYSRALSRQLSSGVSEIRHTADRWRVSLDVNHFAPDELTVKTKDGV VEITGKHEERQDEHGYISRCFTRKYTLPPGVDPTQVSSSLSPEGTLTVEAPMPKLATQSN EITIPVTFESRAQLGGPEAAKSDETAAK SEQ ID NO: 27: Cystatin B: Accn # P04080 (Down-regulated in OPL and Down-regulated in HNCa) gi|1706278|sp|P04080.2|CYTB_HUMAN Cystatin-B (Stefin-B) (Liver thiol proteinase inhibitor) (CPI-B) MMCGAPSATQPATAETQHIADQVRSQLEEKENKKFPVFKAVSFKSQVVAGTNYFIKVH VGDEDFVHLRVFQSLPHENKPLTLSNYQTNKAKHDELTYF SEQ ID NO: 18: GRP 94: Accn # P14625 (Up- regulated in OPL and Down-regulated in HNCa) gi|119360|sp|P14625.1|ENPL_HUMAN Endoplasmin precursor (Heat shock protein 90 kDa beta member 1) (94 kDa glucose-regulated protein) (GRP94) (gp96 homolog) (Tumor rejection antigen 1) MRALWVLGLCCVLLTFGSVRADDEVDVDGTVEEDLGKSREGSRTDDEVVQREEEAIQL DGLNASQIRELREKSEKFAFQAEVNRMMKLIINSLYKNKEIFLRELISNASDALDKIRLIS LTDENALSGNEELTVKIKCDKEKNLLHVTDTGVGMTREELVKNLGTIAKSGTSEFLNK MTEAQEDGQSTSELIGQFGVGFYSAFLVADKVIVTSKHNNDTQHIWESDSNEFSVIADP RGNTLGRGTTITLVLKEEASDYLELDTIKNLVKKYSQFINFPIYVWSSKTETVEEPMEEE EAAKEEKEESDDEAAVEEEEEEKKPKTKKVEKTVWDWELMNDIKPIWQRPSKEVEEDE YKAFYKSFSKESDDPMAYIHFTAEGEVTFKSILFVPTSAPRGLFDEYGSKKSDYIKLYVR RVFITDDFHDMMPKYLNFVKGVVDSDDLPLNVSRETLQQHKLLKVIRKKLVRKTLDMI KKIADDKYNDTFWKEFGTNIKLGVIEDHSNRTRLAKLLRFQSSHHPTDITSLDQYVERM KEKQDKIYFMAGSSRKEAESSPFVERLLKKGYEVIYLTEPVDEYCIQALPEFDGKRFQNV AKEGVKFDESEKTKESREAVEKEFEPLLNWMKDKALKDKIEKAVVSQRLTESPCALVA SQYGWSGNMERIMKAQAYQTGKDISTNYYASQKKTFEINPRHPLIRDMLRRIKEDEDD KTVLDLAVVLFETATLRSGYLLPDTKAYGDRIERMLRLSLNIDPDAKVEEEPEEEPEETA EDTTEDTEQDEDEEMDVGTDEEEETAKESTAEKDEL SEQ ID NO: 17: MARCKS: Accn # gb|AAA59555.1 (Down-regulated in OPL and protein of interest; possibly up-regulated in HNCa) gi|187387|gb|AAA59555.1| myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate MGAQFSKTAAKGEAAAERPGEAAVASSPSKANGQENGHVKVNGDASPAAAESGAKEE LQANGSAPAADKEEPAAAGSGAASPSAAEKGEPAAAAAPEAGASPVEKEAPAEGEAAE PGSPTAAEGEAASAASSTSSPKAEDGATPSPSNETPKKKKKRFSFKKSFKLSGFSFKKNK KEAGEGGEAEAPAAEGGKDEAAGGAAAAAAEAGAASGEQAAAPGEEAAAGEEGAAG GDSQEAKPQEAAVAPEKPPASDETKAAEEPSKVEEKKAEEAGASAAACEAPSAAGLVC PRRGGSPRGGARGRRSLNQACAAPSQEAQPECSPEAPPAEAAE SEQ ID NO: 25: gi|48429103|sp|P61978.1|HNRPK_HUMAN Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNP K) (Transformation up-regulated nuclear protein) (TUNP). (Up-regulated in OPL and HNCa) METEQPEETFPNTETNGEFGKRPAEDMEEEQAFKRSRNTDEMVELRILLQSKNAGAVIG KGGKNIKALRTDYNASVSVPDSSGPERILSISADIETIGEILKKIIPTLEEGLQLPSPTATSQ LPLESDAVECLNYQHYKGSDFDCELRLLIHQSLAGGIIGVKGAKIKELRENTQTTIKLFQ ECCPHSTDRVVLIGGKPDRVVECIKIILDLISESPIKGRAQPYDPNFYDETYDYGGFTMMF DDRRGRPVGFPMRGRGGFDRMPPGRGGRPMPPSRRDYDDMSPRRGPPPPPPGRGGRGG SRARNLPLPPPPPPRGGDLMAYDRRGRPGDRYDGMVGFSADETWDSAIDTWSPSEWQ MAYEPQGGSGYDYSYAGGRGSYGDLGGPIITTQVTIPKDLAGSIIGKGGQRIKQIRHESG ASIKIDEPLEGSEDRIITITGTQDQIQNAQYLLQNSVKQYSGKFF SEQ ID NO: 1: >gi|119360|sp|P14625.1|ENPL_HUMAN Endoplasmin precursor (Heat shock protein 90 kDa beta member 1) (94 kDa glucose-regulated protein) (GRP94) (gp96 homolog) (Tumor rejection antigen 1) (Up-regulated in OPL) MRALWVLGLCCVLLTFGSVRADDEVDVDGTVEEDLGKSREGSRTDDEVVQREEEAIQL DGLNASQIRELREKSEKFAFQAEVNRMMKLIINSLYKNKEIFLRELISNASDALDKIRLIS LTDENALSGNEELTVKIKCDKEKNLLHVTDTGVGMTREELVKNLGTIAKSGTSEFLNK MTEAQEDGQSTSELIGQFGVGFYSAFLVADKVIVTSKHNNDTQHIWESDSNEFSVIADP RGNTLGRGTTITLVLKEEASDYLELDTIKNLVKKYSQFINFPIYVWSSKTETVEEPMEEE EAAKEEKEESDDEAAVEEEEEEKKPKTKKVEKTVWDWELMNDIKPIWQRPSKEVEEDE YKAFYKSFSKESDDPMAYIHFTAEGEVTFKSILFVPTSAPRGLFDEYGSKKSDYIKLYVR RVFITDDFHDMMPKYLNFVKGVVDSDDLPLNVSRETLQQHKLLKVIRKKLVRKTLDMI KKIADDKYNDTFWKEFGTNIKLGVIEDHSNRTRLAKLLRFQSSHHPTDITSLDQYVERM KEKQDKIYFMAGSSRKEAESSPFVERLLKKGYEVIYLTEPVDEYCIQALPEFDGKRFQNV AKEGVKFDESEKTKESREAVEKEFEPLLNWMKDKALKDKIEKAVVSQRLTESPCALVA SQYGWSGNMERIMKAQAYQTGKDISTNYYASQKKTFEINPRHPLIRDMLRRIKEDEDD KTVLDLAVVLFETATLRSGYLLPDTKAYGDRIERMLRLSLNIDPDAKVEEEPEEEPEETA EDTTEDTEQDEDEEMDVGTDEEEETAKESTAEKDEL SEQ ID NO: 26: >gi|74705500|sp|O15256|O15256_HUMAN Parathymosin. (Up-regulated in OPL). RRRTGLRRKKKKLPRMERRKMKGKKKDEEEEEEDDEGPALKRAAEEEDEADPKRQKT ENGASA SEQ ID NO: 28: >gi|74758095|sp|Q6NSB4|Q6NSB4_HUMAN HP protein. (Down-regulated in OPL). MSRISQMTAARSPPRLHMAMWSTRFATSVRTNAVQRILGGHLDAKGSFPWQAKMVSH HNLTTGATLINEQWLLTTAKNLFLNHSENATAKDIAPTLTLYVGKKQLVEIEKVVLHPN YSQVDIGLIKLKQKVSVNERVMPICLPSKDYAEVGRVGYVSGWGRNANFKFTDHLKYV MLPVADQDQCIRHYEGSTVPEKKTPKSPVGVQPILNEHTFCAGMSKYQEDTCYGDAGS AFAVHDLEEDTWYATGILSFDKSCAVAEYGVYVKVTSIQDWVQKTIAEN SEQ ID NO: 29: >gi|232081|sp|Q01469.3|FABP5_HUMAN Fatty acid-binding protein, epidermal (E-FABP) (Fatty acid-binding protein 5) (Psoriasis- associated fatty acid-binding protein homolog) (PA-FABP). (Down-regulated in OPL). MATVQQLEGRWRLVDSKGFDEYMKELGVGIALRKMGAMAKPDCIITCDGKNLTIKTES TLKTTQFSCTLGEKFEETTADGRKTQTVCNFTDGALVQHQEWDGKESTITRKLKDGKL VVECVMNNVTCTRIYEKVE SEQ ID NO: 30: >gi|19263707|gb|AAH25314.1|IGHG1 protein [Homo sapiens] (Down-regulated in OPL). MDWTWRFLFVVAAATSVQSQVQLVQSGAEVKKPGSSVKVSCKASGDSFNSLAINWVR QAPGQGLEWMGGIIPIFGTTNYAQRFQGRVTFTADESTGRAYMELTSLRSEDTAVYYCA SRFISETNFCFKFWGQGTLVTVSSASTKGPSVFPLAPSSKSTSGGTAALGCLVKDYFPEP VTVSWNSGALTSGVHTFPAVLQSSGLYSLSSVVTVPSSSLGTQTYICNVNHKPSNTKVD KKVEPKSCDKTHTCPPCPAPELLGGPSVFLFPPKPKDTLMISRTPEVTCVVVDVSHEDPE VKFNWYVDGVEVHNAKTKPREEQYNSTYRVVSVLTVLHQDWLNGKEYKCKVSNKAL PAPIEKTISKAKGQPREPQVYTLPPSRDELTKNQVSLTCLVKGFYPSDIAVEWESNGQPE NNYKTTPPVLDSDGSFFLYSKLTVDKSRWQQGNVFSCSVMHEALHNHYTQKSLSLSPG K SEQ ID NO: 32: >gi|74728989|sp|Q8N5F4|Q8N5F4_HUMAN IGLC1 protein (Up-regulated in OPL). MAWTPLLLPLLTFCTVSEASYELTQPPSVSVSPGQTARITCSGDALPKKYAYWYQQKSG QTPVLVIYDDTERPSGIPERFSGSSSGTVATLTLSGAQVEDEADYYCYSSDSSGNHWVFG GGTKLTVLGQPKAAPSVTLFPPSSEELQANKATLVCLISDFYPGAVTVAWKADSSPVKA GVETTTPSKQSNNKYAASSYLSLTPEQWKSHRSYSCQVTHEGSTVEKTVAPTECS SEQ ID NO: 33: >gi|74754454|sp|Q12771|Q12771_HUMAN P37 AUF1 (Up-regulated in OPL). MSEEQFGGTGRRHANGGGRRSAGDEEGAMVAATQGAAAAREADAGPGAEPRLEAPK GSAESEGAKIDASKNEEDEGKMFIGGLSWDTTKKDLKDYFSKFGEVVDCTLKLDPITGR SRGFGFVLFKESESVDKVMDQKEHKLNGKVIDPKRAKAMKTKEPVKKIFVGGLSPDTP EEKIREYFGGFGEVESIELPMDNKTNKRRGFCFITFKEEEPVKKIMEKKYHNVGLSKCEI KVAMSKEQYQQQQQWGSRGGFAGRARGEFRNSSEAGEGLELPPNSIHCWQLSV SEQ ID NO: 762: >gi|223632|prf||0904262A dismutase,Cu/Zn superoxide (Up-regulated in OPL). ATKAVCVLKGBGPVZGIIBFZZKESNGPVKVWGSIKGLTEGLHGFHVHEFGDNTAGCTS AGPHFNPLSRKHGGPKDEERHVGBLGBVTABKBGVABVSIZBSVISLSGBHCIIGRTLVV HEKADDLGKGGNEESTKTGNAGSRLACGVIGIAQ SEQ ID NO: 34: >gi|133254|sp|P09651.4|ROA1_HUMAN Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 (hnRNP core protein A1) (Helix-destabilizing protein) (Single-strand RNA-binding protein) (Up-regulated in OPL). MSKSESPKEPEQLRKLFIGGLSFETTDESLRSHFEQWGTLTDCVVMRDPNTKRSRGFGF VTYATVEEVDAAMNARPHKVDGRVVEPKRAVSREDSQRPGAHLTVKKIFVGGIKEDTE EHHLRDYFEQYGKIEVIEIMTDRGSGKKRGFAFVTFDDHDSVDKIVIQKYHTVNGHNCE VRKALSKQEMASASSSQRGRSGSGNFGGGRGGGFGGNDNFGRGGNFSGRGGFGGSRG GGGYGGSGDGYNGFGNDGGYGGGGPGYSGGSRGYGSGGQGYGNQGSGYGGSGSYDS YNNGGGRGFGGGSGSNFGGGGSYNDFGNYNNQSSNFGPMKGGNFGGRSSGPYGGGG QYFAKPRNQGGYGGSSSSSSYGSGRRF SEQ ID NO: 36: >gi|116848|sp|P23528.3|COF1_HUMAN Cofilin-1 (Cofilin, non-muscle isoform) (18 kDa phosphoprotein) (p18). (Up-regulated in OPL). MASGVAVSDGVIKVFNDMKVRKSSTPEEVKKRKKAVLFCLSEDKKNIILEEGKEILVGD VGQTVDDPYATFVKMLPDKDCRYALYDATYETKESKKEDLVFIFWAPESAPLKSKMIY ASSKDAIKKKLTGIKHELQANCYEEVKDRCTLAEKLGGSAVISLEGKPL SEQ ID NO: 37: >gi|31645|emb|CAA25833.1| glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase [Homo sapiens]. (Up-regulated in OPL). MGKVKVGVNGFGRIGRLVTRAAFNSGKVDIVAINDPFIDLNYMVYMFQYDSTHGKFH GTVKAENGKLVINGNPITIFQERDPSKIKWGDAGAEYVVESTGVFTTMEKAGAHLQGG AKRVIISAPSADAPMFVMGVNHEKYDNSLKIISNASCTTNCLAPLAKVIHDNFGIVEGLM TTVHAITATQKTVDGPSGKLWRDGRGALQNIIPASTGAAKAVGKVIPELDGKLTGMAF RVPTANVSVVDLTCRLEKPAKYDDIKKVVKQASEGPLKGILGYTEHQVVSSDFNSDTHS STFDAGAGIALNDHFVKLISWYDNEFGYSNRVVDLMAHMASKE SEQ ID NO: 38: >gi|127983|sp|P22392.1|NDKB_HUMAN Nucleoside diphosphate kinase B (NDP kinase B) (NDK B) (nm23-H2) (C-myc purine-binding transcription factor PUF). (Up-regulated in OPL). MANLERTFIAIKPDGVQRGLVGEIIKRFEQKGFRLVAMKFLRASEEHLKQHYIDLKDRPF FPGLVKYMNSGPVVAMVWEGLNVVKTGRVMLGETNPADSKPGTIRGDFCIQVGRNIIH GSDSVKSAEKEISLWFKPEELVDYKSCAHDWVYE SEQ ID NO: 39: >gi|119172|sp|P13639.4|EF2_HUMAN Elongation factor 2 (EF-2). (Up-regulated in OPL). MVNFTVDQIRAIMDKKANIRNMSVIAHVDHGKSTLTDSLVCKAGIIASARAGETRFTDT RKDEQERCITIKSTAISLFYELSENDLNFIKQSKDGAGFLINLIDSPGHVDFSSEVTAALRV TDGALVVVDCVSGVCVQTETVLRQAIAERIKPVLMMNKMDRALLELQLEPEELYQTFQ RIVENVNVIISTYGEGESGPMGNIMIDPVLGTVGFGSGLHGWAFTLKQFAEMYVAKFAA KGEGQLGPAERAKKVEDMMKKLWGDRYFDPANGKFSKSATSPEGKKLPRTFCQLILDP IFKVFDAIMNFKKEETAKLIEKLDIKLDSEDKDKEGKPLLKAVMRRWLPAGDALLQMIT IHLPSPVTAQKYRCELLYEGPPDDEAAMGIKSCDPKGPLMMYISKMVPTSDKGRFYAFG RVFSGLVSTGLKVRIMGPNYTPGKKEDLYLKPIQRTILMMGRYVEPIEDVPCGNIVGLV GVDQFLVKTGTITTFEHAHNMRVMKFSVSPVVRVAVEAKNPADLPKLVEGLKRLAKSD PMVQCIIEESGEHIIAGAGELHLEICLKDLEEDHACIPIKKSDPVVSYRETVSEESNVLCLS KSPNKHNRLYMKARPFPDGLAEDIDKGEVSARQELKQRARYLAEKYEWDVAEARKIW CFGPDGTGPNILTDITKGVQYLNEIKDSVVAGFQWATKEGALCEENMRGVRFDVHDVT LHADAIHRGGGQIIPTARRCLYASVLTAQPRLMEPIYLVEIQCPEQVVGGIYGVLNRKRG HVFEESQVAGTPMFVVKAYLPVNESFGFTADLRSNTGGQAFPQCVFDHWQILPGDPFD NSSRPSQVVAETRKRKGLKEGIPALDNFLDKL SEQ ID NO: 40: >gi|1352726|sp|P30086.3|PEBP1_HUMAN Phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein 1 (PEBP-1) (Prostatic-binding protein) (HCNPpp) (Neuropolypeptide h3) (Raf kinase inhibitor protein) (RKIP) [Contains: Hippocampal cholinergic neurostimulating peptide (HCNP)] (Up-regulated in OPL). MPVDLSKWSGPLSLQEVDEQPQHPLHVTYAGAAVDELGKVLTPTQVKNRPTSISWDGL DSGKLYTLVLTDPDAPSRKDPKYREWHHFLVVNMKGNDISSGTVLSDYVGSGPPKGTG LHRYVWLVYEQDRPLKCDEPILSNRSGDHRGKFKVASFRKKYELRAPVAGTCYQAEW DDYVPKLYEQLSGK SEQ ID NO: 41: >gi|115502|sp|P27482.2|CALL3_HUMAN Calmodulin-like protein 3 (Calmodulin-related protein NB-1) (CaM-like protein) (CLP) (Up-regulated in OPL). MADQLTEEQVTEFKEAFSLFDKDGDGCITTRELGTVMRSLGQNPTEAELRDMMSEIDR DGNGTVDFPEFLGMMARKMKDTDNEEEIREAFRVFDKDGNGFVSAAELRHVMTRLGE KLSDEEVDEMIRAADTDGDGQVNYEEFVRVLVSK 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for detecting a head-and-neck disease in a subject, the method comprising comparing: (a) levels of one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers listed in Table 5 that are extracted from a sample from the subject; and (b) normal levels of expression of the OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers in a control sample, wherein a significant difference in levels of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, relative to the corresponding normal levels, is indicative of head-and-neck disease.
 2. A method according to claim 1, comprising: (a) contacting a biological sample obtained from a subject with one or more binding agent that specifically binds to the OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or parts thereof; and (b) detecting in the sample amounts of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers that bind to the binding agents, relative to a predetermined standard or cut-off value, and thereby determining the presence or absence of the head-and-neck disease in the subject.
 3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the binding agent is an antibody.
 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein detection of a level of OPL or head- and-neck cancer markers that is significantly higher compared to the standard is indicative of OPL or head-and-neck cancer.
 5. A method according to claim 1, wherein detection of a level of OPL or head- and-neck cancer markers that is significantly lower compared to the standard is indicative of OPL or head-and-neck cancer.
 6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the sample is obtained from tissues, extracts, cell cultures, cell lysates, lavage fluid, or physiological fluids.
 7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the sample is obtained from an OPL or tumor tissue.
 8. A method of claim 1, wherein the one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers comprises one or more of YWHAZ, S100A7, hnRNPK and stratifin.
 9. A method for assessing the aggressiveness or indolence of OPL or head-and-neck cancer, comprising comparing: (a) levels of expression of one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or polynucleotides encoding the markers listed in Table 1 and Table 6 in a subject sample; and (b) normal levels of expression of the OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or polynucleotides encoding the markers, in a control sample, wherein a significant difference between the levels in the subject sample and normal levels is an indication that the OPL or cancer is aggressive or indolent.
 10. A method according to claim 9, comprising: (a) contacting a biological sample obtained from a subject with one or more binding agent that specifically binds to the OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or parts thereof; and (b) detecting in the sample amounts of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers that bind to the binding agents, relative to a predetermined standard or cut-off value, and thereby determining the presence or absence of the head-and-neck disease in the subject.
 11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the binding agent is an antibody.
 12. A method according to claim 9, wherein detection of a level of OPL or head- and-neck cancer markers that is significantly higher compared to the standard is indicative of OPL or head-and-neck cancer.
 13. A method according to claim 9, wherein detection of a level of OPL or head- and-neck cancer markers that is significantly lower compared to the standard is indicative of OPL or head-and-neck cancer.
 14. A method according to claim 9, wherein the sample is obtained from tissues, extracts, cell cultures, cell lysates, lavage fluid, or physiological fluids.
 15. A method according to claim 7, wherein the sample is obtained from an OPL or tumor tissue.
 16. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers or polynucleotides encoding the marker comprises one or more of YWHAZ, S100A7, hnRNPK and stratifin.
 17. A diagnostic composition or kit comprising (a) an agent that binds to an OPL or head-and-neck cancer marker listed in Table 5 or hybridizes to a polynucleotide encoding such marker; or (b) a set of OPL or head-and-neck cancer markers, comprising a plurality of polypeptides comprising or consisting of at least 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 of the markers listed in Table 5 or Table 2 or Table
 6. 18. A diagnostic composition or kit according to claim 17, wherein the polypeptides comprise one or more of YWHAZ, S100A7, and stratifin.
 19. A diagnostic composition or kit according to claim 17, wherein the polypeptides comprise one or more of YWHAZ, hnRNPK and stratifin.
 20. A diagnostic composition or kit according to claim 17, wherein the binding agent comprises a detectable substance or binds directly or indirectly to a detectable substance. 